SURVEY

SECTION 1

Personal Information

Question 1,2,3,4​ - Responder’s background

We received 253 responses during a month of data collection. Out of our 253 respondents, 72.7% are women and 25.7% are men. Since we sent our survey via school mail, the majority of our respondents were still in junior or senior high school. The remaining respondents held either a college or master's degree. Furthermore, the most com​mon age range is 13-18, followed by 36-45, 46-55, and 26-35. More than half of them are students, with approximately 20% working in the service industry and the other 7.9% as educators.

SECTION 2

About Story Wear

Question 5. Are you familiar with Story Wear?

69.2% of respondents said no, 15.8% said they were unsure, and only 15% were familiar with Story Wear. According to the responses, the majority of Taiwanese people did not pay attention to sustainable fashion-related industries. 

SECTION 3

About Story Wear

6. How did you know Story Wear?

Of the 15% of respondents who said they had heard of Story Wear, 52.6% learned about it from the internet, 36.8% from social media, 34.25 from television and other related media, and the rest from news and magazines.

7. Please share your first impression of Story Wear.

Most of the respondents said that they think Story Wear is “​Environmentally friendly”, some of the respondents mentioned that they think Story Wear is very ideal and innovative, and some said that Story Wear is creative. Almost every response is positive feedback, which indicates that although Taiwanese society is not paying that much attention to sustainable topics, they still have high hopes and have a strong interest in related topics. Taiwan may have the potential to develop sustainable related industries, making the world a better place.

8. Have you ever purchased or used Story Wear's products?

The majority of respondents said they had never purchased Story Wear products before, with four saying yes. However, 15 of the respondents who said they had not purchased stated that they were interested in it. This demonstrates Taiwanese people's positive attitude toward possible changes in clothing production methods. This confirmed again that Taiwan has the potential to develop into a sustainable country.

9. "Zero-waste throughout a lifetime." What are your thoughts on this environmental concept of Story Wear?

27 respondents indicated that they understand and support, 5 support but are concerned, 2 understand but do not support, and 4 have no comment. "Zero-waste throughout a lifetime" may sound like a difficult goal to aim for, and the respondents may not believe they will achieve it. However, the majority of them remain optimistic about the goal, believing that it is achievable and supporting it.

10. Do you agree that Story Wear has inspired other fashion brands and influenced them to adopt more environmentally friendly production methods?

17 responses were strongly agreed (5), 8 agreed (4), 5 remained neutral (3), 7 disagreed (2), and 1 strongly disagreed (1). Story Wear has a certain level of influence in terms of brand awareness in the fashion industry. However, creating such sustainable clothing requires a significant amount of effort

SECTION 4

About Environmental Friendliness

Question 11. Do you know any other zero-was​te brands?

Question 12. How much attention do you pay to recycling and reusing issues?

Six replies have been provided by some brands, including Zara, H&M, Gucci, Patagonia, Allbirds, and TWINE from Taiwan. However, practically all brands are from other countries. It means that every country is attempting to figure out how to create products with less pollution and move toward a more sustainable manner of production.

On a scale of 1 to 5, 96 answered 3, 55 answered 4, 44 answered 1 (not paying much attention), 38 answered 2, and 20 answered 5 (paying a lot of attention). Taiwan, as a key manufacturing industry country in the 1950s, has caused pollution which is a major problem that needs to be addressed. People are now aware of pollution problems. However, they believe it is not the most serious problem to focus on, so they do not pay much attention to related topics.

Question 13. Are you aware of actual environmental protection activities? If so, have you ever participated in them?

Question 14. Have you participated in any specific environmental actions or activities before?

17 respondents said they had never participated in any environmental actions before. However, the majority of them did participate. Taking public transportation, as well as other actions like waste sorting, using eco-friendly tableware, and recycling old clothes, are all environmental. Everyone can take environmental actions in their daily lives.

92 respondents paid attention but did not participate, 63 paid attention and also participated, 53 neither paid attention nor participated, and 45 did not pay attention but were interested. As previously stated, Taiwan has been a key manufacturing industry country since the 1950s. We have worked in the clothing and household utensil industries, among others, which both contribute to increased pollution. Not only is garbage being the only pollution, but so are water, air, and soil. Taiwanese are aware that pollution is becoming an imminent threat, but those who cared and even participated were not quite as many as we expected. On the other hand, many of them remained eager to participate in actual environmental protection activities, demonstrating their optimism about environmental protection.

SECTION 5

About Resource Renewable Products

Question 15. In your opinion, what role should businesses play in promoting and offering renewable products?

Question 16. Are there specific industries or product categories where you think renewable options are most needed?

Businesses play a significant and influential role in a country. Most respondents believe that it is necessary to educate and advocate for society. And, as people become more aware of sustainable and environmentally friendly trends, businesses have a greater influence in promoting them. To improve our society, we must promote, educate, collaborate with non-governmental organizations, and obtain relevant certification.

The majority of responses indicated that product categories and industries that use consumables should be sustainable and renewable. It is undeniable that Taiwan generates approximately 20 million tons of industrial waste each year. Nonetheless, we are grateful that most people are aware of the waste and believe we can change it.

Question 17.  Have you ever used resource-renewable products?

Question 18.  Following the previous question, please state the product you used and describe its differences compared to an ordinary product.

About 70% of respondents are certain that they have previously used renewable products, while approximately 27% have not, and the rest were not sure. The proportion of people who have used renewable products is higher than we expected, indicating that renewable products are present in our daily lives and can be used to replace other consumables. Still, we believe that more people could be using renewable products. The barriers to universalizing the use of resource-renewable products come from a greater time spent, higher price, and misconceptions and stigma towards renewable products. By eliminating this misinformation and encouraging public awareness of climate change, we would be able to increase the rate far higher than the current state.

This question was answered by 121 out of 253 respondents. The majority of respondents stated that there are no differences when compared to ordinary products. On the other hand, some people believe that renewable products are more flimsy and breakable than ordinary products. In contrast, others claim that the appearance of renewable products is significantly different, with uglier and darker colors. According to the responses, tissue paper and utensils were the most common renewable products purchased. These renewable tissues are often darker in color, and the utensils are mostly made of rice husks. Respondents also note that renewable products are often more expensive, but they are more likely to purchase them because they are environmentally friendly. We could conclude that renewable products have a high potential but still need to improve their appearance and lower their prices to fit in the Taiwan market.

Question 19.  Following the previous question, please state the product you used and describe its differences compared to an ordinary product.

Question 20.  Do you intentionally choose to purchase resource-renewable products when buying items?

With 37% saying yes, 31% saying no, and 30% unsure, renewable products have not yet become a trend in the Taiwan market. Furthermore, the core of the Taiwanese market may be choosing functional and inexpensive products rather than sustainable ones. The respondents who said they were unsure were more likely to be unaware of what they had purchased, so they were more likely to skip out on renewable products when choosing their daily necessities. However, when those who do not intentionally choose renewable products are combined with those who are unsure, their share exceeds two-thirds of all respondents. More than half of respondents do not buy renewable products, which could be interpreted as a warning. It is necessary to motivate people to take action in reducing their use of consumables rather than just labeling "stop pollution" as a slogan but not participating.

Approximately 44% of respondents were neutral, 26% think it is important, 13% think it is not necessary, 12% think it is very important, and 3% think it is very unnecessary. A significant proportion of respondents may not have strong feelings about environmental sustainability. This demonstrates that the Taiwanese continue to be concerned about whether or not to use sustainable products. We should work to inform people that there isn't much difference between renewable and conventional products.

SECTION 6

About Development of Sustainable Fashion

47% of our respondents defined "sustainable industry" by selecting all five options. Story Wear, our current collaboration partner, best fits the "Utilizing recycling and manufacturing" and "Being environmentally friendly" goals. This year, our society is beginning to value sustainability in industries and even the production of consumables. And, to teach future generations the value of sustainability, we can even see SDGs in our textbooks. Our society will soon witness the emergence of new modes of production and marketing. When environmental issues become more prominent, it will be necessary to align with sustainable development goals while maintaining a high cost-performance ratio. Out of 253 responses to a survey about Taiwan's environmental protection and recycling industries, 51% believe our environment is fair, 21% have no opinion, 20% are dissatisfied, and only 5% are satisfied (one was unsure). Furthermore, the Taiwanese expressed dissatisfaction with Taiwan's environmental protection and recycling industries. Taiwan's industrial techniques do not yield enough to qualify as a "sustainable and renewable" country. Yet, citizens are aware of the pollution issues, their spirit is willing, but their flesh is weak. Ending pollution and achieving sustainability are more than just slogans; they are challenges we must overcome.

Question 21 22 23. About Taiwan’s sustainable industries

We believe that a sustainable industry should include at least one of these labeled characteristics.

a. Being environmentally friendly 
b. Achieving a beneficial cycle with the natural ecology 
c. Utilizing renewable energy 
d. Low carbon emissions e. Utilizing recycling and manufacturing

FROM the survey?

What can we tell

Our survey reveals differences in Taiwanese awareness, attitudes, and behaviors regarding environmental sustainability. Although there is a societal interest in sustainable practices, challenges such as lack of awareness, cost considerations, and improved industry practices remain. Taiwan's industrial processes are not environmentally friendly enough to qualify as a "sustainable and renewable" country. Despite their awareness of environmental issues, residents' willingness to take action is limited. Ending pollution and achieving sustainability are not mere words.

Thanks to the 253 people who filled out the survey.