Paradigm Shift in Sustainable Consumption of Generation Z: An Environmental Law Study on The Impact of Thrifting in Indonesia

Putri Regita Salsabila Oktaviani; Maskun Maskun; Naswar Naswar; Wiranti Wiranti

doi:10.26623/julr.v9i2.13439

Authors

Putri Regita Salsabila Oktaviani Hasanuddin University
Maskun Maskun Hasanuddin University
Naswar Naswar Hasanuddin University
Wiranti Wiranti Hasanuddin University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26623/julr.v9i2.13439

Keywords:

Circular Economy, Environmental Law, Generation Z, Sustainable Consumption, Thrifting

Abstract

This study aims to critically examine the practice of thrifting in Indonesia by analyzing its position at the intersection of sustainable consumption, environmental law, and regulatory governance. While thrifting has expanded significantly among Generation Z as an alternative to fast fashion and textile waste, its legal status—particularly concerning the import of second-hand clothing—remains contested and fragmented. Employing a qualitative empirical legal approach, this research draws on policy documents, online media reports, and observational data, analyzed through discourse analysis and actor-network analysis using Discourse Network Analyzer (DNA) and Visone software to map interactions among key actors and competing policy narratives. The findings indicate that thrifting reflects a shift toward reuse-oriented consumption aligned with circular economy principles; however, its environmental benefits remain conditional due to regulatory ambiguity, weak enforcement, and the risk of secondary textile waste accumulation. The study reveals that thrifting operates within a fragmented governance framework where trade regulation, environmental protection, and waste management are insufficiently integrated. The novelty of this research lies in its integration of environmental legal analysis with discourse network analysis to conceptualize thrifting as a contested socio-legal practice shaped by dynamic interactions between actors, regulatory structures, and sustainability discourses. Theoretically, this study contributes to the development of environmental law and circular economy scholarship by emphasizing the importance of lifecycle-based regulatory integration, while practically, it highlights the need for coherent cross-sectoral policies, strengthened import supervision, and structured post-consumption waste management to ensure that thrifting evolves into a genuinely sustainable practice rather than a symbolic environmental trend.

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