In conjunction with its 25th anniversary, the Switzerland-based OEKO-TEX® Association recently commissioned a research study of more than 11,000 global clothing and home textile consumers to look at attitudes towards textile sustainability including harmful substances in textiles, environmental responsibility, climate change and the social welfare of textile workers. The study, “The Key to Confidence: Consumers and Textile Sustainability — Attitudes, Changing Behaviours, and Outlooks,” was conducted by Ellen Karp and her company Anerca International. Oeko-Tex Institute clients were able to participate in a series of webinars to learn about the study’s findings, and Oeko-Tex plans to participate in upcoming industry events and webinars to share the data with the larger textile community.
“As long-time leaders in textile sustainability, we felt that this unique global study to quantify consumer attitudes about textile sustainability was a fitting tribute to our past 25 years as well as a worthy undertaking to prepare us to succeed in the next,” said Anna Czerwinska, head of marketing and communication, Oeko-Tex.
“The quantitative findings derived through ‘The Key to Confidence’ study should serve as a call to action for the textile industry,” Karp said. “Consumers are fast learning that their textile buying decisions impact not only their families, but also their communities and beyond. Brands, retailers, and manufacturers need to be ready for this awakening. It is definitely coming.”
November/December 2017
