Linnea Raaska: Consumer perceptions on circular forest bioeconomy: a focus on sustainability and quality of textiles

The textile industry urgently needs to transition toward more sustainable practices. Currently, textile manufacturing places a significant burden on the environment through dominance of cotton production and the widespread use of synthetic fibers. Cotton cultivation consumes vast amounts of water, while synthetic fibers contribute to marine pollution through microplastic release. One promising solution is the adoption of sustainably produced wood-based fibers, which can be used to produce casual clothing in an eco-friendly way. There are already novel wood-based fibers created for textile production, such as innovative, sustainably produced human-made cellulosic fibers. 

The aim of this project is to gain better knowledge about the consumer’s quality perception towards wood-based and everyday clothing. New knowledge about how consumers evaluate the quality of everyday clothing and what quality attributes are affecting their purchase intentions is crucial for the fashion and textile industries to learn about which clothing materials the consumers prefer and how the materials are perceived. The project adopts theory of dimensionality of perceived quality. The data for this project consists of online consumer panel survey data and of the available literature data collected systematically. This project provides crucial insights for different actors in the textile, fashion and forest industries about the consumers quality perceptions and purchase intentions towards new innovative wood-based clothing.