Abstract
Organisations are increasingly keen to communicate their efforts to address sustainability and encourage consumers to adopt sustainable behaviours. Fashion retailers have begun to acknowledge and address growing consumer concerns about the negative impact of fibre, fabric and garment production on the environment and workers. This chapter considers how sustainability, in terms of the concept of organic cotton, is communicated to and interpreted by fashion consumers as they evaluate eco-labelling during the purchase decision-making process. It begins with an overview of organic cotton farming methods, followed by a critical analysis of the literature on ethical and conscious consumption, with specific consideration of the barriers and drivers of organic cotton consumption, and how eco-labels affect consumer perceptions of environmental issues. Finally, a summary of the current presence and marketing of organic cotton in the UK fashion market is provided.
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Bucklow, J., Perry, P., Ritch, E. (2017). The Influence of Eco-Labelling on Ethical Consumption of Organic Cotton. In: Henninger, C., Alevizou, P., Goworek, H., Ryding, D. (eds) Sustainability in Fashion. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51253-2_4
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