Fast Fashion and Sustainability: Environmental Awareness versus Purchasing Behavior among University Students
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Fast Fashion, sustainability, environmental awareness, consumer behavior, responsible consumption, sustainable fashion, environmental impact, textile waste, cognitive dissonance, social media
Fast Fashion has become one of the most influential production models in the contemporary fashion industry, characterized by the rapid manufacturing of low-cost garments and the constant renewal of collections according to market trends. Although this system has facilitated access to fashion products, it has also generated significant environmental impacts related to excessive water consumption, pollutant emissions, and the massive production of textile waste. Likewise, social media and the culture of immediate consumption have strengthened frequent purchasing habits, especially among young and university populations. This article aims to examine the relationship between sustainability awareness and purchasing behavior among Fast Fashion consumers at the Fundación de Estudios Superiores Comfanorte (FESC) in Cúcuta, Colombia. The research was developed under a quantitative approach with a descriptive-correlational scope. To collect information, a structured Likert-scale survey was applied to a non-probabilistic convenience sample composed of university students between 18 and 35 years old, who are active consumers of low-cost clothing and fast fashion. The results show that, although most participants recognize the negative environmental impact generated by the textile industry, factors such as price, fashion trends, and the influence of social media continue to play a decisive role in their purchasing decisions. In addition, it was identified that many students are interested in sustainability but face difficulties in changing their consumption habits due to economic limitations and the limited accessibility of sustainable alternatives. Finally, it is concluded that there is a marked cognitive dissonance between environmental awareness and actual consumption practices, highlighting the need to strengthen educational strategies and promote more sustainable and responsible fashion habits.
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179-211.
Bick, R., Halsey, E., & Ekenga, C. C. (2018). The global environmental injustice of fast fashion. Environmental Health, 17, 92. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-018-0433-7
Cline, E. L. (2012). Overdressed: The shockingly high cost of cheap fashion. Portfolio/Penguin.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2017). A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion's future. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/a-new-textiles-economy
Fletcher, K. (2008). Sustainable fashion and textiles: Design journeys. Earthscan.
Fletcher, K., & Grose, L. (2012). Fashion and sustainability: Design for change. Laurence King Publishing.
Gwilt, A. (2014). A practical guide to sustainable fashion: From design to manufacturing. Bloomsbury Academic.
McNeill, L., & Moore, R. (2015). Sustainable fashion consumption and the fast fashion conundrum: Fashionable consumers and attitudes to sustainability in clothing choice. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 39(3), 212-222.
Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible. (2023). Política nacional de producción y consumo sostenible. Gobierno de Colombia.
Niinimäki, K., Peters, G., Dahlbo, H., Perry, P., Rissanen, T., & Gwilt, A. (2020). The environmental price of fast fashion. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 1(4), 189-200. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0039-9
Organización de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente. (2022). The environmental costs of fast fashion. UNEP. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/environmental-costs-fast-fashion
Solomon, M. R. (2017). Consumer behavior: Buying, having, and being (12th ed.). Pearson.
United Nations Environment Programme. (2022). Sustainable fashion: Communication strategy 2021-2024. UNEP. https://www.unep.org/resources/publication/sustainable-fashion-communication-strategy-2021-2024
United Nations Environment Programme. (2025). Sustainable and circular textiles. UNEP. https://www.unep.org/topics/chemicals-and-pollution-action/circularity-sectors/sustainable-and-circular-textiles
United Nations Environment Programme. (2025). Unsustainable fashion and textiles in focus for International Day of Zero Waste 2025. UNEP. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/unsustainable-fashion-and-textiles-focus-international-day-zero
Fast Fashion has become one of the most influential production models in the contemporary fashion industry, characterized by the rapid manufacturing of low-cost garments and the constant renewal of collections according to market trends. Although this system has facilitated access to fashion products, it has also generated significant environmental impacts related to excessive water consumption, pollutant emissions, and the massive production of textile waste. Likewise, social media and the culture of immediate consumption have strengthened frequent purchasing habits, especially among young and university populations. This article aims to examine the relationship between sustainability awareness and purchasing behavior among Fast Fashion consumers at the Fundación de Estudios Superiores Comfanorte (FESC) in Cúcuta, Colombia. The research was developed under a quantitative approach with a descriptive-correlational scope. To collect information, a structured Likert-scale survey was applied to a non-probabilistic convenience sample composed of university students between 18 and 35 years old, who are active consumers of low-cost clothing and fast fashion. The results show that, although most participants recognize the negative environmental impact generated by the textile industry, factors such as price, fashion trends, and the influence of social media continue to play a decisive role in their purchasing decisions. In addition, it was identified that many students are interested in sustainability but face difficulties in changing their consumption habits due to economic limitations and the limited accessibility of sustainable alternatives. Finally, it is concluded that there is a marked cognitive dissonance between environmental awareness and actual consumption practices, highlighting the need to strengthen educational strategies and promote more sustainable and responsible fashion habits.
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179-211.
Bick, R., Halsey, E., & Ekenga, C. C. (2018). The global environmental injustice of fast fashion. Environmental Health, 17, 92. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12940-018-0433-7
Cline, E. L. (2012). Overdressed: The shockingly high cost of cheap fashion. Portfolio/Penguin.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2017). A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion's future. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/a-new-textiles-economy
Fletcher, K. (2008). Sustainable fashion and textiles: Design journeys. Earthscan.
Fletcher, K., & Grose, L. (2012). Fashion and sustainability: Design for change. Laurence King Publishing.
Gwilt, A. (2014). A practical guide to sustainable fashion: From design to manufacturing. Bloomsbury Academic.
McNeill, L., & Moore, R. (2015). Sustainable fashion consumption and the fast fashion conundrum: Fashionable consumers and attitudes to sustainability in clothing choice. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 39(3), 212-222.
Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible. (2023). Política nacional de producción y consumo sostenible. Gobierno de Colombia.
Niinimäki, K., Peters, G., Dahlbo, H., Perry, P., Rissanen, T., & Gwilt, A. (2020). The environmental price of fast fashion. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 1(4), 189-200. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0039-9
Organización de las Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente. (2022). The environmental costs of fast fashion. UNEP. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/environmental-costs-fast-fashion
Solomon, M. R. (2017). Consumer behavior: Buying, having, and being (12th ed.). Pearson.
United Nations Environment Programme. (2022). Sustainable fashion: Communication strategy 2021-2024. UNEP. https://www.unep.org/resources/publication/sustainable-fashion-communication-strategy-2021-2024
United Nations Environment Programme. (2025). Sustainable and circular textiles. UNEP. https://www.unep.org/topics/chemicals-and-pollution-action/circularity-sectors/sustainable-and-circular-textiles
United Nations Environment Programme. (2025). Unsustainable fashion and textiles in focus for International Day of Zero Waste 2025. UNEP. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/unsustainable-fashion-and-textiles-focus-international-day-zero