Consumer Role in Closing the Loop in the Apparel Industry Towards Circular Systems

The consumption increase over the last decades brought into question the efficiency of resource use and the negative impacts generated by the linear model. Thus, investing in an economic model that treats economic and environmental rationality as decision factors is essential. To successfully apply this model, it is necessary to expand the network of collaborations, with the involvement of companies from different sectors and the participation of consumers. In this matter, this work aims to identify the role of the consumer in reverse logistics (RL) for apparel in the context of the circular economy (CE) model. From a conceptual framework, the focus group method was applied. The qualitative data were subsequently coded and categorized using the Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA) Miner software, enabling two analyses. Firstly, a new framework was developed, which classified the factors influencing consumer participation in the return of post-consumption apparel products according to the different beliefs established by the theory of planned behaviour. It suggests that control beliefs are the main factor influencing consumers, i.e. their participation in RL depends on their assessment of the effort required to perform a particular activity. The second analysis revealed different ways the consumer can participate in RL in the context of circularity and suggested strategies to encourage product return focused on the consumer role. This work contributes with practical and managerial implications by identifying possible factors that influence consumer participation in product return. Finally, this paper presents several strategies for organizations to encourage a more ecologically position in society.