Safety and quality fears preventing consumers from buying more sustainable products

A new report from the British Standards Institution (BSI) has revealed that UK consumers' expectations for sustainable fashion across both high street and luxury brands is on the rise, but a lack of trust in the quality and safety of the item is holding people back.

The BSI’s 2025 Global Circularity study, ‘The Tipping Point: Building Trust in the Circularity Economy,’ was developed in partnership with experts from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), to identify "how building trust in quality and reliability can drive consumer uptake of circular behaviours”.

The research asked people to rate themselves on a scale of adoption for 10 circular behaviours, including recycling, reusing packaging or purchasing second-hand goods, with more than half globally (53 percent) identifying as an early adopter or early majority and one in three (35 percent) added that they were comfortable buying second-hand clothing.

However, fears about hygiene and quality of reused or repaired products are holding back global efforts to move to a circular economy and minimise the impacts of consumption on the planet, adds the BSI.

While the majority of consumers (68 percent) say ambition to benefit the environment motivates them to reuse, repair, and recycle, the “fear factor” prevents them from purchasing refurbished goods. The public is unwilling to compromise on quality (56 percent), safety (51 percent) or reliability (49 percent), highlighting the need for businesses to prove the value of circular products.

The lack of trust in environmental claims is “a barrier” to purchasing circular products for a third of people (32 percent), yet 59 percent said a recognised label to support claims would build trust.

The data also revealed that 42 percent of UK consumers hold high expectations for luxury brands to use sustainable materials, with 43 percent having moderate expectations. For high-street fashion, 34 percent have high expectations and 51 percent have moderate expectations, showing a clear demand for more sustainable practices.

Susan Taylor Martin, chief executive of the BSI, said in a statement: “The circular economy presents an immense opportunity for both people and the planet, enabling us to protect natural resources and reap economic benefits. Yet trust remains a crucial barrier to adoption. While consumers routinely weigh price and quality in their purchasing decisions, reused, repaired or recycled goods introduce new questions around quality, safety, and reliability.

“For circularity to thrive, businesses must move beyond sustainability messaging and bolster it by demonstrating genuine value, durability, and trustworthiness - convincing consumers that circular options are as reliable as traditional products."