A UK study published by media company Clear Channel UK has revealed clothing only sits behind food as being the most popular sustainable purchase for UK consumers (34%).

The study, which featured over 2,000 respondents suggests UK consumers are more aware of the perils of fast fashion, including the waste it causes and how it exploits workers, which is why they are increasingly seeking sustainable alternatives to purchase.

It believes the goal for fashion consumers in particular is to track down apparel items that not only cause less harm to the planet but will also give them longer wear, which is also better value for money. 

Overall, the study says demand for sustainable products is higher than ever with almost one in three Brits (30%) willing to pay up to 10% more for a sustainable product compared to the non-sustainable equivalent, despite the cost of living crisis.

The study also shows that 10% of older Gen Z and younger Millennials are willing to pay up to 50% extra for a sustainable product, while 6% would be willing to pay as much as 51-60% extra.

The respondents said they are becoming more selective with what they buy with nearly one in 10 (9%) boycotting their go-to brands in the past year because of sustainability-related concerns and will now only buy products from sustainable brands.

Food is listed as the main category for purchasing sustainable brands (38%), however it is closely followed by clothing (34%) and toiletries/cosmetics (26%) and household items (25%). 

Fashion and food top the most popular sustainable purchase list for UK consumers 

However, for 18-24-year-olds (51%) and 25-34-year-olds (44%) clothing is the most popular category for purchasing from sustainable brands. The interest in this drops by nearly 30% when compared with those aged 65 and over (23%). While, older Millennials (35-44-year olds) are equally ready to buy food and clothing from sustainable brands (39%). 

When it comes to the main factors contributing to not buying sustainable products, high cost (62%), perceived low quality/effectiveness (20%), lack of awareness (10%) and limited availability (6%) are revealed as the main reasons.

The research also explains recycling (77%), reducing food waste (66%), donating to charities (51%), reducing non-essential travel (32%), choosing sustainable/eco-friendly products (29%), reducing usage of public transport (17%) and volunteering (17%) are the top sustainable initiatives that British consumers take part in.

When asked about the main reasons why brands should focus on sustainability, waste reduction (73%), being good for the planet (70%), spreading awareness (43%), enhancing brand reputation (31%) and trust (30%), increasing customer loyalty (25%) and competitive advantage (22%) were the most popular responses.

Clear Channel’s marketing director Ben Hope said: ‘’Our study has shown that while there is a high demand for sustainable products, one in five Brits rarely believe brand sustainability claims and around half only sometimes trust them. The data would suggest brands are not communicating their messaging effectively. We hope that our study will educate brands about sustainability-related expectations and how important it is for retailers to be aligned with consumers and encourage brands to embrace more effective communication strategies.”

While strides are being made around environmental and social responsibility in the global fashion industry, measuring action and reporting progress remains a challenge, according to a recent Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) report. 

 By Just Style