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1. Introduction
Generation Z also is known as “post-millennials” are the people born between 1995 and 2010 (Seemiller and Grace, 2016). In spite of the varied beliefs regarding the exact generational cohort (Nielsen, 2018; Priporas et al., 2017; Wood, 2013), the consensus is that members of this generation cohort have now moved to the college and are known as young adults (Nguyen et al., 2018). Previous studies (Igel and Urquhart, 2012; Seemiller and Grace, 2016) carried out on Generation Z, have preferred the earlier mentioned generational cohort (1995 through 2010). What makes this generation different from the former generations is their increasing desire to adopt eco-friendly products (Nielsen, 2016) and their intrinsic motivation to act in environmentally-friendly ways (Financial Times, 2018). Members of this generational cohort are highly educated consumers with a sound understanding of environmental issues and eco-friendly products (Adnan et al., 2017). Hence, they believe that companies have an obligation to address and deal with environmental and social issues (Amed et al., 2019). Moreover, they are also willing to participate in this process by switching their consumption to eco-friendly products. Interestingly, the demographic trends of India indicate that 45% of its population is below 25 years of age. In addition, 40% of all US consumers will belong to this generational cohort by the end of 2020 (Empson, 2016). Besides, their global population will grow to 40% by the end of 2020 (Amed et al., 2019). Thus, it is expected that this generational cohort which is socially conscious and change seeking will heavily influence the trends of consumption. Considering the increased number of Generation Z consumers globally and a shift in the consumption trend due to this, Generation Z is the main focus of this study.
The textile manufacturing process has a disastrous impact on the environment as it not only uses water and energy resources in greater amounts but also pollutes air and water (Allwood et al., 2006) through greenhouse emissions and intensive use of pesticides (FAO-ICAC, 2015). The textile industry ranks second across the world in terms of environmental pollution and it alone emits 10% of the total CO2 around the globe. Additionally, the harmful by-products of the textile manufacturing process are released into the air and...