Regenerated Cellulose Fibers (RCF) for Future Apparel Sustainability: Insights from the U.S. Consumers

Today, less than 1% of apparel is recycled into new fibers for apparel production, representing a loss of more than $100billion worth of materials each year. As a major cellulose fiber, more than 95% of cotton is utilized for consumer goods, such as apparel and home textiles. The amount of post-consumer cotton waste generated has been accelerating with the increased cotton product consumption. An increasing number of textile and apparel companies are inventing novel green technologies to produce regenerated cellulose fibers (RCF) out of pre- and post-consumer textile waste. RCF could significantly reduce virgin cotton production and decrease textile waste in incineration and landfill. However, our knowledge on U.S. consumers’ willingness to purchase apparel made of this novel sustainable fiber is still limited. To address the gap in the literature, this study aimed to identify the factors significantly influencing the U.S. consumers’ purchase intention toward RCF made apparel.