Clothes that are produced quickly and just as quickly go out of style and into the trash bin can have dire effects on the environment, polluting the air with carbon and choking landfills with chemicals that can seep into the water supply.
A Penn State Smeal College of Business-led team of researchers found a new business model may address the issue of overconsumption without burdening companies operating within the fiercely competitive fashion industry.
Aydin Alptekinoglu, professor of operations and supply chain management and Robert G. Schwartz University Endowed Fellow in Business Administration, served as first author on the paper. "The big problem with these artificial fibers is that they are a complex blend of polymers," Guide said."They're really many different types of plastic, which we tend to do a lousy job of sorting, so these polymers become too complicated to recycle and the plastics can, for example, end up seeping into the water supply."
According to the researchers, the solution is also practical because the technology currently exists to allow many people to personalize their products online. For example, customers can upload their pictures to a website to review different sunglass styles, or virtually try on clothes. In the second study, the focus shifted to exploring different approaches to a single point of customer involvement in mass customization. The team recruited 501 U.S. participants, randomly assigning them to five different groups representing distinct customization conditions. The researchers specifically investigated the influence of providing sample images in the design condition on how much the participants would pay for and how long they would keep the customized products.
Guide said another action step would be more outreach to move this research from the laboratory and into real life.
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