Second-hand clothes have a hugely positive social and environmental impact. They reduce carbon emissions, save lots of resources, water, and energy. They also prevent old clothing from ending up in landfills or incinerators. Plus they cost less, and who doesn't like a good deal, right?
Thrifting offers an alternative to the fast fashion model by promoting the reuse and recycling of clothing and other items. By shopping for secondhand items, you can: Reduce waste: Purchasing pre-owned items helps prevent them from ending up in landfills or being incinerated, thereby reducing overall waste generation.
By participating in resale, clothing items are kept in circulation, minimising the amount of clothing ending up in landfills. This helps mitigate the environmental impact associated with textile waste disposal, including the release of harmful chemicals and greenhouse gas emissions.
The fast fashion model, while enabling rapid and affordable clothing production, raises concerns due to its environmental impact and labor practices. In response, the second-hand clothing market constitutes a more sustainable solution, aimed to promote a circular economy, highlight experts.
Shopping second-hand is known as a sustainable option since it reduces clothing waste. But the less known reason to do it is that used clothing generally contains less chemicals as well, simply because they have been washed many times before.
Thrifting simply extends the life of a preexisting garment and prevents it from ending up in a landfill. It is an excellent way of keeping the garment in the market at the least possible environmental and social cost and a decent financial profit. The youth, in particular, seem to be fond of thrifting.
“As a policy, I never purchase anything secondhand that could have come in close contact with a stranger's private parts or have been excessively sweated in,” she says. That's, in part, because the buyer has absolutely no idea of the history of the items.
Are second-hand clothes good for the environment and economy?
Thrift shopping significantly reduces the carbon footprint associated with manufacturing and shipping. When you choose second-hand items, you're not only saving resources but also minimizing the greenhouse gas emissions linked to the production and transportation of new products.
The Global Second-hand Clothing market is anticipated to rise at a considerable rate during the forecast period, between 2023 and 2031. In 2022, the market is growing at a steady rate and with the rising adoption of strategies by key players, the market is expected to rise over the projected horizon.
Items of clothing such as socks and underwear cannot be resold for hygienic reasons, but a lot of people are also hesitant about buying second-hand shoes, swimwear or sportswear. Ultimately, you should only buy what you would wear and always make sure to check the condition of the clothes or shoes before buying them.
By giving clothing a second life, buying secondhand reuses textiles and avoids water and fertilizer use, greenhouse gas emissions, and other harmful environmental impacts that would result from producing a new garment (5).
Not only does buying second-hand clothes help reduce textile waste, but it also helps to reduce the demand for new clothes. The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. And a large part of this pollution can be traced to people constantly buying new clothes.
Proven quality. Secondhand clothes have already been washed, usually several times, so it is easier to spot any potential weaknesses or problem areas. Another bonus is that most of the shrinkage has generally happened so what you are trying on shouldn't shrink significantly after you wash it.
Inflated pricing on secondhand-shopping platforms like Depop and IRL vintage stores has received increasing scrutiny as more people online claim the practice of buying in bulk and selling at double or more the price is inherently unethical.
Thrifting has become a way the younger generation sees a solution to reducing their environmental footprint and contributing to anti-capitalist solutions while still being able to develop a sense of self through expression.
Not only does buying used reduce the number of natural resources being used, it also reduces the amount of energy used and pollution that's being emitted. Things like pesticides, burning fuel in the trucks that haul the items, toxic chemicals and carbon emissions.
One of the latest movements in fashion has turned customers toward thrifting – or shopping for used goods at second-hand stores – and away from fast fashion clothing that is mass-produced at a rapid rate to keep up with trends.
Young consumers are increasingly opting for second-hand fashion for reasons including sustainability as well as "high street fatigue" as they become bored of standard high street shopping.
Now, thrifting your clothes is considered less of an essential habit and more of a fashion statement. In 2023, shopping for secondhand clothing actually makes you cool. According to ThredUp's Annual Resale Report for last year, secondhand shopping is becoming a global phenomenon, expected to grow 127% by 2026.
How does buying second-hand clothes reduce carbon footprint?
Oxfam said that if half of those items were bought second-hand, it would prevent 12.5 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide created by manufacturing new clothes from entering the atmosphere – equivalent to that produced by 261,000 flights from London Heathrow to Athens.
And when consumers throw away clothing in the garbage, not only does it waste money and resources, but it can take 200+ years for the materials to decompose in a landfill. During the decomposition process, textiles generate greenhouse methane gas and leach toxic chemicals and dyes into the groundwater and our soil.
The result is that up to 9.5 billion pounds of returned items are landfilled every year. Besides the waste of materials, e-commerce returns account for 24 million metric tons of CO2 emissions worldwide every year. That's the same amount of CO2 as is emitted by 5.1 million cars in a year.
What's the one thing you would never buy second-hand?
There are certain things you just know not to buy secondhand — hats, swimsuits and underwear come to mind. While you might make it a point to steer clear of those items, you're still open to scoring a great bargain on used goods at a thrift store or random garage sale.
Most secondhand stores don't wash the clothes before selling them. Donations are typically washed before they're donated, but we still recommend giving them a good cleaning when you get home. Even if the clothes are washed before they hit the thrift store floor, people will have since touched them.
Yes, there are a few things to keep in mind when buying preloved baby clothes. Don't buy any items that have drawstrings around the neck. Also, look out for loose buttons or other items that may fall off or be pulled off and pose a choking hazard.
