Czech consumer decision-making in clothing disposal: insights for a circular textile system

Overview

This quantitative study examines consumer behaviour patterns in textile waste disposal across the Czech Republic, stratified by gender and age demographic variables. The research characterises disposal methods and underlying motivations among the studied population, identifying durability as a primary driver of clothing disposal decisions. Female consumers demonstrate relatively sustainable disposal practices, though additional improvements through modifications to purchasing and care behaviours are identified as feasible intervention points.

Methods and approach

The study employs a positivist quantitative methodology utilising a structured questionnaire to capture disposal behaviours with multiple response options. Data collection involved self-selected respondents presumed to have interest in fashion or sustainability domains. Analytical procedures include frequency distribution analysis normalised by gender and age categories, cross-tabulation analysis with chi-square tests to evaluate interactions between disposal reasons and demographic variables, and Cramér's V calculation for effect size quantification. Statistical significance threshold set at p < 0.05; analyses conducted using Python with Perplexity backend.

Key Findings

Female consumers exhibited primary engagement with sustainable textile waste disposal practices relative to male respondents. Durability limitations emerge as the dominant reason for clothing disposal across the sample. Interaction analyses between disposal reasons, gender, and age variables revealed differential patterns in disposal decision-making across demographic strata. The findings indicate substantial variation in disposal methods corresponding to consumer demographic characteristics.

Implications

The identification of durability as a principal disposal driver carries direct implications for manufacturer product development and policymaker regulatory frameworks. Enhancement of textile quality standards and promotion of at-home care practices represent feasible mechanisms for reducing disposal frequency and extending garment lifecycles. These interventions operate through mechanisms of reduced functional deterioration and consumer knowledge acquisition regarding garment maintenance practices. Consumer education emerges as the priority policy lever for modifying purchasing, repair, and disposal behaviours. Targeted information provision addressing purchase decision criteria, care instructions implementation, and repair alternatives represents an evidence-based approach to shifting consumer practices toward circular system compatibility. Such educational interventions require tailoring to demographic segments exhibiting distinct disposal decision patterns, recognising that age and gender variables demonstrate significant associations with disposal method selection.

Scope and limitations

This summary is based on the study abstract and available metadata. It does not include a full analysis of the complete paper, supplementary materials, or underlying datasets unless explicitly stated. Findings should be interpreted in the context of the original publication.