THE SUSTAINABILITY ILLUSION: CONSUMER PERCEPTIONS VS. ENVIRONMENTAL REALITIES OF RENTING CLOTHES

Ms Anshika Rai, Fashion Management Scholar, Department of Fashion Management Studies,

National Institute of Fashion Technology, Ministry of Textiles, Govt of India, Daman Campus

ABSTRACT

The fashion industry is increasingly turning to circular business models, such as clothing rental & resale, to reduce environmental waste. This research investigates consumer behavior toward these services to underst& the key factors driving their adoption & the barriers preventing it. Using a theoretical qualitative approach, the study reviews academic journals & recent articles from 2016 to 2025. The analysis reveals that consumer decisions are motivated primarily by economic benefits, emotional value (enjoyment), & a desire to be eco-friendly. However, significant barriers remain, including concerns about hygiene, lack of trust in service providers, & convenience issues. Crucially, the study highlights a conflict in environmental awareness: while rental services are often marketed as sustainable, recent data indicates they may generate higher carbon emissions than resale due to the heavy logistics of transport & dry cleaning. The findings conclude that while interest in circular fashion is growing, consumers need better information to distinguish between "greenwashing" & true sustainability, with second-h& resale emerging as the more environmentally effective option compared to high-frequency renting.

INTRODUCTION

The global fashion industry has long been criticized for its "take-make-dispose" model, often referred to as fast fashion, which creates massive amounts of waste & pollution. As environmental concerns grow, both br&s & consumers are looking for sustainable alternatives. This has led to the rise of "circular fashion," a system where clothes are kept in use for as long as possible. Two of the most popular business models emerging from this shift are clothing rental services (borrowing clothes for a short time) & resale (buying & selling second-h& clothes).

While these services are growing in popularity, underst&ing why consumers choose them is complex. Early research suggests that people are motivated by various factors, such as saving money, the enjoyment of finding unique items, & the desire to be eco-friendly. However, many consumers still hesitate to adopt these habits due to fears regarding hygiene, trust & the inconvenience of returning items.

Furthermore, there is a growing debate about the true environmental impact of these models. While resale is generally accepted as sustainable, recent studies have questioned the benefits of renting. Due to the heavy logistics of shipping, packaging, & frequent dry cleaning, some experts argue that renting may actually produce more carbon emissions than traditional ownership—a concept often hidden behind "greenwashing."

This research aims to explore these consumer behaviors in depth. By reviewing recent studies, it seeks to underst& the motivations & barriers that influence the decision to rent or resell. Additionally, it investigates a critical question: Are consumers choosing these services because they genuinely believe they are helping the planet, or are they unaware that some "green" options, like high-frequency renting, might actually be harmful to the environment?

OBJECTIVES

1. To underst& the reasons why consumers choose to rent or buy used clothes instead of buying new ones.
2. 2. To identify the fears or concerns that stop people from using rental & resale services.
3. To find out if consumers are aware that renting clothes is good for the environment than buying second-h& or not.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This research follows a theoretical qualitative approach by reviewing papers on consumer behavior in the fashion rental & resale markets. It synthesizes key findings from peer-reviewed journals & recent articles (2016–2025) to underst& the main reasons why consumers choose to rent or buy used clothes, as well as the fears that stop them. Data was thematically analyzed to identify patterns in emotional & economic motivations, & to investigate consumer awareness regarding the true environmental impact of renting versus buying second-h&. The review encompasses sources that highlight the contrast between "greenwashing" & actual sustainability, ensuring relevance to current industry trends. Ethical considerations guided the selection, focusing on credible studies to ensure accurate results.

 LITERATURE REVIEW 

 Jurnal Manajemen dan Kewirausahaan., et al., (2016) The global use of second-h& clothing (SHC) is growing quickly & cannot be stopped. This trend has already had, & will continue to have, a big effect on the clothing industry all over the world. However, there are still not many studies about SHC, & the results of existing studies are often different & unclear. This study looks at research on SHC published between 1990 & 2014. A total of 131 academic articles from different fields were collected & analysed. The results show that most SHC research focused on three main topics: how people buy & use second-h& clothes, how people dispose of textiles, & issues related to the trading of second-h& clothing. The study also found that most research was done from the consumers’ point of view. Because interest in second-h& clothing is increasing, this study aims to help people better underst& SHC & to give clear suggestions for future research in this area.

Ana J. Grilló-Méndez., et al., (2025) To reduce the environmental harm of the fashion industry, clothing rental is becoming an important new business model. Although it has strong market potential, little is known about why people choose to rent clothes. This study examines consumer intentions to use clothing rental services in Spain. The results show that attitude is the main factor influencing rental intention. Emotional, environmental, & economic values positively affect attitudes, while social value does not. Emotional value also directly encourages people to rent clothes. The study suggests that rental companies should focus on emotional experiences, highlight environmental benefits, & offer affordable, flexible plans to promote sustainable fashion use.

Ting Chi., et al.,(2023) Apparel rental services are becoming more popular as people try to reduce waste & save money, but little is known about why consumers choose them. This study looks at what influences U.S. consumers’ intention to rent clothes, using the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Data from 338 U.S. consumers were collected through an online survey. The results show that attitude, social influence, belief in personal impact, environmental knowledge, personal relevance, & past eco-friendly behaviour all affect the intention to use clothing rental services. Attitude also partly explains how environmental knowledge & personal relevance influence intention. Age, gender, education, & income do not significantly affect rental intention. The model explains 74.7% of consumers’ intention to rent apparel.

Bohan Sun,. et al., (2021 ) Second-h& clothing has become more popular due to concerns about fast fashion’s environmental impact. This study explores why people buy used clothes & how sustainability influences their choices. Using interviews & a small survey, the findings show that enjoyment is a key reason for shopping second-h&. While consumers mention sustainability, they mainly choose second-h& clothing to avoid overconsumption rather than to be fully sustainable. However, second-h& shopping requires more time & effort & is less practical than buying new clothes.

Poppy Imogen Herold., et al., (2023) The clothing industry is one of the world’s biggest polluters, mainly due to fast fashion. Although sustainable options like clothing rental are becoming more popular, they are still a small part of the market, especially in the UK. This study explores what influences people in the UK to adopt rental clothing, using interviews with different age groups in both rural & urban areas. The results show that people choose rental clothing based on style, sustainability concerns, affordability, & where they live. To make clothing rental more popular, the study highlights the need to build trust in rental services & improve access to them.

Malvika Agarwal,. et al,.(2020) The clothing & textile industry causes a lot of pollution & waste due to poor disposal of textiles. To reduce pollution & improve sustainability, alternatives like renting or sharing clothes are needed. This study focuses on the growing online apparel rental market in India. It examines consumers’ interest in renting clothes online & the demographic profile of users in the Delhi-NCR region. The results show that people use online rental platforms for different occasions, but more awareness is needed to promote clothing rental as a solution for sustainability & pollution reduction.

Vijayudu Gnanamkonda., et al,. (2019) This study examines the market for men’s executive clothing rental services & identifies factors that influence consumers’ preference for renting clothes. Based on earlier research, five possible factors were analyzed using survey data. The results show that convenience, experience, & low importance of owning clothes strongly influence rental preference, while price & fashion trends do not. The study adds new insights to the sharing economy & highlights why younger consumers prefer garment rental services.

Victoria Masterson (2021) Reveals a significant shift in the discourse surrounding circular fashion. Historically, clothing rental was championed as a sustainable alternative to the "take-make-dispose" model of fast fashion; however, this study indicates that renting often has a higher climate impact than traditional ownership or even discarding items. The primary reason for this is the "hidden" environmental cost of logistics: the high carbon emissions associated with frequent transportation between warehouses & renters, combined with the intensive dry cleaning & packaging required for each cycle.  

​The review highlights that while rental models aim for "use intensification," they often fail to account for the environmental footprint of the service infrastructure itself. The study concludes that the most truly sustainable approach remains reducing consumption—buying fewer, high-quality items & wearing them for as long as possible—& identifies resale (second-h&) as a more effective "green" solution than renting due to lower transportation & maintenance overheads. This research serves as a critical warning against "circular greenwashing," urging both consumers & br&s to prioritize life-extension of garments over high-frequency rental cycles

Francesca Sterlacci  (2021) This article examines the sustainability of the fashion rental market, arguing that despite its eco-friendly marketing, it may be more damaging to the environment than traditional retail. Citing a study by Lahti University of Technology, the review highlights that renting clothes generates significant greenhouse gas emissions—potentially exceeding those of discarding items after a single use—due to the heavy logistics of shipping & frequent dry cleaning. Consequently, the text accuses the industry of "greenwashing" & concludes that the most effective environmental solution is not renting, but rather shifting consumer behavior to buy fewer, higher-quality items & wear them for as long as possible. 

INSIGHTS FROM LITERATURE REVIEW

The literature reveals that consumers choose to rent or buy used clothes primarily for emotional enjoyment & personal attitude rather than just to save money or follow social trends. However, widespread use is blocked by barriers like inconvenience, lack of trust, & the extra effort required compared to buying new items. Most importantly, the review highlights a major contradiction: while consumers believe renting is eco-friendly, recent studies show it often causes more pollution than buying second-h& due to heavy shipping & cleaning, making resale the only truly sustainable choice.

FINDINGS

The research reveals that consumers choose to rent or buy used clothes primarily for emotional enjoyment & personal attitude, rather than just to save money. However, widespread adoption is blocked by practical barriers, specifically the inconvenience of the process & a lack of trust in service providers. Most critically, the study uncovers a major environmental contradiction: while renting is often marketed as a sustainable solution, the heavy pollution caused by frequent shipping & cleaning actually makes it less eco-friendly than buying second-h&, identifying resale as the only truly effective "green" alternative.

CONCLUSION

This research concludes that the shift toward renting & buying used clothes is driven less by saving money & more by emotional satisfaction & personal attitudes. Consumers engage in these markets because they enjoy the experience, value variety, & want to feel they are making ethical choices. However, mass adoption is currently blocked by significant barriers, primarily the inconvenience of the process & a lack of trust regarding hygiene & service quality.

The most critical conclusion of this study is the existence of an environmental paradox. While consumers often view rental services as the ultimate sustainable solution, this research confirms that high-frequency renting can be a form of "greenwashing." Due to the heavy pollution caused by shipping, packaging, & frequent dry cleaning, renting is often more damaging to the environment than buying second-h&. Therefore, resale (buying used clothes) emerges as the truly sustainable alternative, while rental services are better suited for occasional use rather than everyday wear.

REFERENCES

Jurnal Manajemen dan Kewirausahaan (2016) The Increasing Phenomenon Of Second-H& Clothes Purchase: Insights From The Literature https://www.academia.edu/144185566/The_Increasing_Phenomenon_of_Second_H&_Clothes_Purchase_Insights_from_the_Literature

Ana J. Grilló-Méndez, Mercedes Marzo-Navarro, Marta Pedraja-Iglesias (25 July 2025) Are you Willing to Rent Clothes? Associated Consumption Values from the Consumer’s Point of View https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43615-025-00678-1

Ting Chi, Olabisi Adesanya, Hang Liu, Rebecca &erson, Zihui Zhao (9 March 2023) Renting than Buying Apparel: U.S. Consumer Collaborative Consumption for Sustainability https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/6/4926

Djonathan Quadras, Kristin Müller, Fabiana Pirola, Jens Heger, Virginia Fani & Romeo B&inelli. Towards Fashion Renting: Identification Of Influencing Factors For Consumer Behavior https://www.scs-europe.net/dlib/2025/ecms2025acceptedpapers/0062_rssc_ecms2025_0056.pdf

Poppy Imogen Herold, Daniel Prokop (2023) Is Fast Fashion Finally Out Of Season? Rental Clothing Schemes As A Sustainable & Affordable Alternative To Fast Fashion https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016718523001999

Malvika Agarwal, Dr. Rita Kant (2020 )Exploring Online Apparel Rental Behaviour of Consumers as a Sustainable Method https://www.ijmra.us/project%20doc/2020/IJRSS_FEBRUARY2020/IJRSS11Feb20-16404.pdf

 Vijayudu Gnanamkonda, Chakravarthi Koundinya, Purna P. N&amuri (2019) Executive Garment Rental Service—A Study on Consumers’ Preferences https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation?paperid=90690

Victoria Masterson (2021)This is the most sustainable way to use fashion - & it’s not renting clotheshttps://www.weforum.org/stories/2021/07/renting-clothes-sustainability-fashion/

Francesca Sterlacci  (2021) Is Renting Clothing Really Better For The Environment? https://www.universityoffashion.com/blog/is-renting-clothing-really-better-for-the-environment/