The study, conducted by the ESRI’s behavioural research unit and funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), aimed to test if simple visual indicators of a product’s environmental impact, such as “eco-labels”, would shift consumers to opt for more sustainable clothing options.
The research was conducted by Shane Timmons, Adam Joachim Shier, Olga Poluektova, and Peter D Lunn. It used a controlled online experiment run in July 2024 to test two types of “eco-labels” on a sample of 1,200 adults, who were shopping in an online store offering real products, brands and prices.
Participants were given a budget between €180 and €540 and instructed to shop as if they were making real online purchases, as some of them would be randomly selected to receive their chosen clothes.
In one version of the store, participants saw a simple label that was applied only to the most sustainable products, based on existing EU policy. In another, they saw a colour-coded A to E “eco-score” label applied to all products.
Both types of labels increased the number of sustainable clothes purchased. However, the eco-score label was twice as effective among the study participants.
Many consumers want to make more sustainable choices
Compared with those who saw no labels, participants who encountered the simple label chose 10pc more sustainable items, while those who saw the eco-score label chose 20pc more sustainable items and were more than twice as likely to buy only from the most sustainable brands.
“Many consumers want to make more sustainable choices, but they need clear and trustworthy information at the point of sale,” Dr Timmons, of the ESRI, said.
“While buying fewer clothes or second-hand options are often the most sustainable actions, eco-labels can help shoppers make more informed choices when buying new and help more sustainable brands stand out.”
Labels that reveal the environmental impact of clothing help shoppers choose sustainable options. Photo: Chris Putnam
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The study, titled “Fashion, Fast or Slow? Effects of binary and graded eco-labels on sustainable clothing purchases”, also found labels did not reduce satisfaction with the shopping experience or how much people liked the clothes.
Findings showed that labels had the biggest impact on participants with high concern for the environment and that most consumers underestimate the environmental damage caused by clothing production, while many overestimate the sustainability of familiar brands.
However, there was strong public support for introducing eco-labels, both online and in store.