Uncovering the determinants of environmentally-friendly apparel purchase intention in Indonesia: Incorporating environmental concern and knowledge into the theory of planned behavior

Abstract

The clothing industry is a high-growth industry that is attractive to be occupied by the business. However, behind its appeal, this industry brings harmful impacts to the environment. The fashion industry is considered the 2nd most destructive industry in the world. Environmental damage due to industry occurs not only in the production process but also in consumption and disposal. As the growth of this industry cannot be separated from consumer intervention, efforts to improve the environmental impact caused by this industry also require consumers’ role. Consumers can improve the environment through their consumption choices, such as replacing the usual products with more sustainable products. Therefore, it is essential to discover what factors can encourage consumers to consume more environmentally friendly apparel. This study intends to explore consumer motivation in deciding to buy environmentally friendly apparel by applying the extended theory of planned behavior. As an extension, this study includes two additional variables, namely environmental concern and environmental knowledge. This study involved 407 respondents who have followed some environmentally friendly apparel brands. The collected data would then be analyzed with smartPLS 3.0. The result of the study showed that all variables are proven to be significant in influencing consumers’ purchase intention for environmentally-friendly apparel, except for environmental concern, which influence is indirect through attitude. The result of this study gives new insight into what shapes the intention of buying environmentally-friendly apparel.