Welcome to a new age of fashion, where style is slowly becoming borrowed, and sustainability is becoming owned. Clothing rentals are starting to be known for sustainably allocating industry resources while leaving the environment unharmed. Nonetheless, there are a multitude of factors to consider before determining whether clothing rentals are truly the most sustainable alternative to purchasing clothing. Before redefining fashion, let us examine the environmental and behavioural implications that will determine clothing rentals’ true impact on society.
Overconsumption has become the new norm for fashion. Society has adapted so much to overconsumption that we may not even recognize it anymore, with recent trends being abandoned as fast as they were introduced. This inevitably takes a toll on our environment and has doubled how much waste we have produced in the past 15 years (By Rotation, 2022). To stay above consumer demand, the textile industry produces 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide waste per year contributing negatively to our environment (By Rotation, 2022). People have started to take notice, and as a result, a UK clothing rental brand called By Rotation has introduced the idea of 'rotating' your wardrobe by ‘borrowing’ other consumers’ material goods, from clothing pieces to jewelry and handbags, as well as renting out your own pieces to fashion lovers (By Rotation, 2022). The brand encourages consumers to rent their wardrobe, stating that it helps them rotate through different styles, experiment with other pieces, and save money. The brand's success has led the company to reduce car pollution by taking 150 cars off our roads, conserving textiles, and preventing Olympic-sized pools of water from being wasted (By Rotation, 2022). By Rotation claims that focusing on utilizing already-made material goods will allow consumers to become aware of their carbon footprints and start to consciously think about their environmental choices (By Rotation, 2022). While these facts are impressive and seem to contribute to successful environmental progress, further analysis is crucial to understand the implications of clothing rentals on society.
We must consider four main factors when determining clothing rentals' level of sustainability: product use, production, transportation, and consumer behaviour. A study conducted by Monticelli and Costamagna (2022) has revealed the unforeseen environmental impacts of clothing rentals (Monticelli & Costamagna, 2022, p. 7637). The study compared a dress distributed by rental services against a dress sold by 'baseline' clothing companies, beginning with how many uses a consumer can get out of each dress. Baseline companies instill a 'use once' mindset in their customers, as they encourage overconsumption to increase sales. On the other hand, rental companies such as By Rotation encourage their customers to continue borrowing and lending already-made clothing, leading to a longer life cycle for that specific item of clothing (Monticelli & Costamagna, 2022, p. 7638).
Regarding the production of a dress in both scenarios, rental services had a more considerable initial burden on the environment, due to constant transportation, as well as the possibility that rental pieces could have been unethically produced. However, the significant number of uses a rental dress can have reduces this impact substantially compared to a baseline company. Rental services are known to create pollution due to rented pieces being constantly shipped to many different locations; however, they can reduce their impact if they effectively keep their load transportation constant, reducing wasteless trips on the road (Monticelli & Costamagna, 2022, p. 7638). Lastly, we must address the most powerful impact that can either lead to the success or decline of clothing rentals: consumers' willingness to reduce their fast fashion consumption and adopt this new sustainable practice instead (Tu & Hu, 2018). Even if clothing rentals are the more sustainable option, if consumers are not willing to get on board, there will be no real benefit to the environment. Consumers are increasingly becoming accustomed to the comfort and convenience of online shopping, which allows online platforms for clothing rentals to lure consumers (Tu & Hu, 2018, p. 25). However, since many are new to the idea of clothing rentals, there still exists a sense of uncertainty surrounding the concept (Tu & Hu, 2018, p. 25). As the call for sustainability continues to pervade the fashion industry, clothing rentals have great potential to use marketing techniques to attract consumers and make them more comfortable with renting a wardrobe, allowing companies to begin dominating this niche industry (Tu & Hu, 2018, p. 25). If the market for clothing rentals can be solidly established, clothing rentals can turn consumers away from fast fashion and familiarize them with sustainability. This emerging approach to sustainability in fashion leaves us with one final question: Will clothing rental services be able to keep pace with the quickly evolving demands of consumers?
Sources
By Rotation. (2022). The benefits of fashion rental. Fashion Revolution. https://www.fashionrevolution.org/the-benefits-of-fashion-rental/
Monticelli, A., & Costamagna, M. (2023). Environmental assessment of the rental business model: a case study for formal wear. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 25(8), 7625–7643. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02363-x
Tu, J.-C., & Hu, C.-L. (2018). A Study on the Factors Affecting Consumers’ Willingness to Accept Clothing Rentals. Sustainability (Basel, Switzerland), 10(11), 4139–. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10114139
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