Situation

Young adults in the Netherlands often choose fast fashion because it is cheap, convenient and easily accessible, while sustainable alternatives such as repairing, reusing and buying second-hand clothing are less visible and accessible. As a result, clothes are often replaced and discarded instead of being used for longer. How can we make sustainable clothing choices easier and more accessible for young adults in the Netherlands, so that repairing, reusing and buying second-hand become realistic alternatives to fast fashion?

What If ..

What if every young adult in the Netherlands had access to an app that made sustainable clothing choices as easy, visible and rewarding as buying fast fashion? What if repairing, reusing, exchanging and buying second-hand became the default choices instead of buying new clothes? The intervention could be introduced by a collaboration between local repair shops, second-hand stores, municipalities and sustainable fashion organisations.

Emerging frictions

The intervention changes the situation by making sustainable clothing choices easier, more visible and more rewarding for young adults. Instead of automatically buying new fast-fashion clothing, users are encouraged to repair, reuse, exchange and buy second-hand clothes. The app connects them with local repair shops, second-hand stores, clothing swap events and textile collection points. The different actors in the clothing system are affected in different ways. Young adults may buy fewer new clothes and keep their existing clothes for longer. Repair shops and second-hand stores may receive more customers because they become easier to find. Fast-fashion brands may experience less demand for new clothing and may need to respond to changing consumer behaviour. The clothes themselves are kept in use for longer through repairing, reusing and reselling, which can reduce the amount of clothing that is thrown away. However, the intervention can also create new problems. Users might only participate to collect points and receive rewards rather than because they genuinely want to make more sustainable choices. The app could also be difficult to use if there are not enough local repair shops, second-hand stores or swap events. Repairing clothes may still be more expensive or less convenient than buying something new. There is also a risk that fast-fashion brands use the app or sustainability messaging for greenwashing without making meaningful changes to their production.

Provocative statement

If sustainable fashion becomes easier and more rewarding, are we actually changing people’s behaviour or are we just creating a new way to consume?