Nudging towards sustainability: Exploring the role of behavioral interventions in circular bio-economy development for the fashion industry

The fashion and food industries are major contributors to waste generation, making sustainability management a priority for both practitioners and scholars. This study examines how nudging can promote the development of a circular bioeconomy within the fashion industry, specifically investigating whether nudging techniques can facilitate the market adoption of fashion products made from sustainable textiles derived from food waste. Using a dataset of 2112 participants from four European countries, we employ regression and clustering analyses to identify consumer profiles based on psychological and behavioral characteristics. Our econometric analysis reveals that gender, education, and psychological factors such as environmental responsibility and awareness significantly impact sustainable behaviors. Additionally, a left-leaning political orientation is positively associated with engagement in sustainable practices and willingness to pay for eco-friendly products. Clustering analysis identifies distinct consumer profiles: "enthusiastic" individuals demonstrate high commitment to sustainability, while "skeptics" shows low engagement and responsiveness to environmental issues. The study offers key policy implications on the effectiveness of nudging interventions in enhancing the sustainability of the fashion industry.