Of course there is no doubt that the ever-producing world of fast fashion negatively impacts the environment. For example, a new garment takes 77 gallons of water and creates 17 pounds of carbon dioxide; the industry produces over 100 billion garments each year. One in two people throw unwanted clothes in the trash. 73% of apparel is sent to a landfill or burned, though 95% of it could be reused or recycled. These statistics feel overwhelming.
On the other hand, buying a single used item reduces its carbon, waste, and water footprints by 82% (ThredUp). What can consumers do to live more sustainably? One answer is to extend the life of items that have already been produced through the secondhand market.
The recommerce marketplace
It is hopeful to note that a 2020 study by e-tailer Farfetch found that 57% of 3,000 consumers surveyed in China, the United States, and the United Kingdom said that purchasing a pre-owned fashion item kept them from buying something brand new (Chua, 2020). What are they buying? The study found that price motivated American and British consumers to purchase more secondhand clothing, while rarity motivated Chinese shoppers to buy more secondhand footwear, jewelry, and watches (Chua, 2020).
A study by First Insight evaluated three sustainable models within secondhand markets. The least popular model is clothing swaps and peer-to-peer marketplaces. The resale/consignment model (including companies like The RealReal, ThredUp, Poshmark, and Tradesy) is the second-most popular model. Upcycled products are the most popular recommerce model, especially among Generation Z and Millennials; upcycled items are made from discarded materials or objects used to produce a higher quality or more valuable final product (Jezerc, 2020). The demand is clear.
The impact of thrifting
Thrifting continues to grow in popularity, especially as various online retailers make it easy for consumers to both empty their closets and shop for secondhand goods. There are some drawbacks to purchasing secondhand clothing online, of course. Because of previous use or age, items may have been produced on a different sizing system or may have been stretched or worn in by previous owners, which is hard to judge without trying an item on (Schiffer, 2020). However, that has not slowed the success of the resale movement.
Certainly the most well known of the online retail sites is ThredUp. Founded in 2009, the company states its mission as: “Inspiring a new generation to think secondhand first.” ThredUp is a technology-powered circular closet, processing up to 100,000 items each day, listing 2.4 million items at a time on the site, and storing 4.7 million items in their distribution centers (ThredUp).
How has the company grown to this degree? It meets a demand for sustainable shopping. So far ThredUp has processed 100 million garments (totaling $2.8 billion in savings from the estimated retail value), displacing 888 million pounds of carbon dioxide (ThredUp). Not only does the company work hard to extend the life of items, it works to educate consumers with such tools as its Fashion Footprint Calculator, Annual Resale Report, and Clothing Lifestyle Study. ThredUp also collaborates with celebrities and companies to educate and inspire change.
The future of secondhand
In conclusion, online resellers will only grow in popularity. Retail analytics firm Future Market Insights projects that the category will rise from $30 million in the United States in 2020 to $70 million by 2027. If so, the online marketplace will outpace traditional in-store resale, which is predicted to drop from $57 million in 2020 to $50 million by 2027 (Schiffer, 2020). Therefore, the growing secondhand market exemplifies progress in the movement toward sustainability.
References
Chua, J. M. (2020, June 18). Farfetch Gives Shoppers the Skinny on Secondhand’s Sustainable Impact. Sourcing Journal. https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/sustainability/farfetch-resale-fashion-secondhand-pre-owned-footprint-luxury-216702/
Jezerc, G. (2020, January 14). First Insight finds expectations for sustainable retail practices growing with the rise of Gen Z shoppers. First Insight. https://www.firstinsight.com/press-releases/first-insight-finds-expectations-for-sustainable-retail-practices-growing-with-the-rise-of-gen-z-shoppers
Schiffer, J. (2020, July 29). Secondhand shoppers worry about their favorite local spots. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/29/style/secondhand-clothes-coronavirus-safety.html
ThredUp. (n.d.). Our Impact. https://www.thredup.com/impact
