Lenzing has recently commissioned a consumer survey–“Lenzing's Global Consumer Perception Survey on Sustainable Raw Materials in Fashion and Home Textiles”–with the aim to know how consumers consider sustainability as a distinctive aspect for their purchases.
The study was carried ahead in partnership with Wakefield Research, a market research firm, and surveyed online a total of 9,000 respondents ages 18 to 64 from nine countries including China, Japan, Korea, India, Indonesia, Turkey, Germany, the UK and the US in early 2020.
The study highlighted that some aspects such as "transparency” is a key element that could help brands winning consumer trust and confidence.
Most respondents considered brands that are transparent with their ingredients (83%) and the origin of their raw materials (82%) as trustworthy. At the same time, respondents also consider brands that are transparent about their production processes (82%), sustainable practices (81%) and where their raw materials come from (82%) as trusted brands. While respondents believed that knowing what raw materials were used in their clothing and home textile products is important to build confidence in a brand (87%), they also believed that knowing the brand’s environmental impact when deciding to purchase (87%) is very important.
Conscious consumers actively engage in pursuing a sustainable lifestyle and are constantly educating themselves about raw materials. Almost all of those interviewed (86%) believe purchasing clothes made from sustainable raw materials is a key component of living a more sustainable lifestyle, and they frequently purchase products from brands that are committed to using sustainable raw materials (80%) or recycled materials (77%) in their products. The survey also revealed that the majority of respondents actively learn about sustainability through researching the production process of products before purchasing (76% in clothing and 74% in bedding and home textiles). They also tend to read label hangtags (88% in clothing and 86% in bedding and home textiles), and most respondents are willing to pay an average of 40% more for clothing or home textile products with descriptions that reflect sustainability.
The consumers also responded favorably to terms such as “eco-friendly,” “biodegradable,” “natural” and “recyclable” and were more likely to buy a product that used these claims.
When asked about the definition of sustainable clothing, respondents considered products being processed or manufactured using humane, eco-responsible production processes and products made from natural, organic or botanic materials as top considerations. Over 80% of respondents expressed that they are “extremely interested” or “very interested” in sustainable fashion and purchasing clothing made from sustainable raw materials.
When questioned about their preference for clothing and home textile products, half of those surveyed said they would be more likely to purchase a product described as “eco-friendly” or “natural,” whereas over 60% of respondents are more likely to purchase products with a “recyclable” or “biodegradable” afterlife.
“The findings of this survey prove the value of Lenzing’s ongoing efforts in driving the sustainability dialogue across the textile supply chain, from yarn makers to consumer brands,” said Florian Heubrandner, vice president of global business management textiles at Lenzing. “Based on the survey, we gained a more comprehensive understanding of consumer perceptions globally. The rating of material type being the top consideration factor when shopping has also echoed our belief that consumers value and actively look out for sustainable products. This survey provided us, our partners and brands with insights to curate more targeted strategies and programs to drive sustainability, not only on raw materials, but also product afterlife. In the long run, we hope to help brands achieve new heights, drive sustainability and safeguard our planet.”
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