Research Finds Secondhand Shopping Drives Sustainable Fashion
As the fashion industry faces growing scrutiny over its environmental impact, one area continues to stand out as an eco-friendly and sustainable solution: secondhand clothing markets. Not only does shopping secondhand extend the lifespan of garments, but it also reduces the demand for new, resource-intensive fashion production. Recent studies reveal that secondhand shopping isn’t just a niche trend but a powerful movement reshaping how we consume fashion. This shift could be one of the most impactful ways we have to embrace a sustainable lifestyle, supporting a circular economy that benefits people and the planet alike.
The Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion
The environmental costs of new clothing production are staggering. Fast fashion relies on rapid cycles of production and consumption, which require vast amounts of resources and produce significant waste. According to Niinimäki et al. (2020), the environmental toll of new clothing includes excessive CO₂ emissions, water and land use, and chemical pollution. An item’s environmental footprint is further compounded when it is discarded after only a few wears, contributing to an estimated 92 million tons of global textile waste annually. With the rise of sustainability concerns, the secondhand market offers a compelling alternative by helping to curb these impacts.
How Secondhand Markets Support Circular Economies
Secondhand clothing markets play a crucial role in the transition to a circular economy, where the goal is to keep products in use as long as possible to minimize resource extraction and waste. Unlike the traditional, linear fashion model that encourages continuous new purchases, secondhand markets emphasize the reuse and recycling of garments, effectively extending their lifespan. This shift reduces the need for new resources and helps divert textiles from landfills.
Secondhand shopping has gained traction not only as an affordable option but also as a conscious choice for consumers eager to reduce their carbon footprint. Research by Persson and Hinton (2023) shows that the growth in secondhand markets signals a societal shift, as consumers increasingly see value in used items, recognizing them as viable and stylish alternatives to brand-new fashion.
The Rise of For-Profit Secondhand Platforms
Historically, secondhand clothing markets were dominated by not-for-profit (NFP) organizations like the Salvation Army and Red Cross, whose sales of donated goods fund social missions. However, in recent years, the rise of for-profit (FP) players has shifted the landscape. Companies like Sellpy and Tradera in Sweden have entered the secondhand clothing space, blending traditional resale models with digital platforms that attract a new generation of consumers. While these businesses contribute to the normalization of secondhand shopping, some scholars argue that their profit-oriented motives may sideline the social and environmental goals that NFPs prioritize.
Hinton’s relationship-to-profit theory highlights a key distinction: FPs distribute profits to private owners, while NFPs reinvest all proceeds into social causes (Hinton, 2021). This difference matters as profit-oriented businesses may inadvertently undermine the social benefits and resource efficiency that make secondhand shopping so sustainable. For example, secondhand NFPs often collect a high volume of low-quality donations, which they must pay to incinerate if unsellable, while FPs tend to focus on high-quality resale items, leaving NFPs with more waste and fewer revenue-generating donations.
Bridging the Gap Between New and Secondhand Markets
The connection between new and secondhand clothing markets is complex and sometimes counterintuitive. Companies like NA-KD, which primarily sell new clothes, are also investing in secondhand platforms to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. However, research suggests that these forays into secondhand sales are often sustained by profits from new clothing sales, creating a financial dependency on the very consumption patterns they aim to disrupt. NA-KD, for example, provides store credits instead of cash for customers who sell items on their secondhand platform, subtly nudging them to buy more new clothing (NA-KD, 2020).
Such strategies raise concerns about the genuine sustainability of for-profit secondhand ventures, suggesting that these models may struggle to drive substantial reductions in overall consumption. Despite these challenges, integrating secondhand platforms into conventional retail can still help slow down the demand for new items and reduce waste, especially if consumers begin to prioritize secondhand options over fast fashion.
Secondhand Shopping as a Socially Just Solution
For those pursuing a socially just circular economy, NFP-led secondhand markets offer promising pathways. These organizations use their revenue to support social missions, from creating jobs for marginalized individuals to providing affordable goods to low-income households. The rising competition with FPs has spurred NFPs to “professionalize” their operations, which may enhance their competitiveness but could also redirect funds from social causes to business growth.
This competitive environment points to the need for policy support to maintain the social benefits of secondhand markets. Measures like extended producer responsibility, tax incentives for reuse, and bans on destroying unsold goods could help level the playing field and reinforce the social impact of NFP secondhand businesses.
The Future of Secondhand Fashion
As the secondhand market grows, consumers have an unprecedented opportunity to embrace more sustainable fashion habits. By buying used items, we support a circular economy that prioritizes resource conservation, reduces waste, and addresses the social inequalities exacerbated by fast fashion. The future of fashion lies in models that see value beyond profit, where consumers and companies alike contribute to a system that benefits everyone.
Sources
1. Persson, O., & Hinton, J. B. (2023). *Second-hand clothing markets and a just circular economy? Exploring the role of business forms and profit.* Journal of Cleaner Production. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136139
2. Niinimäki, Kirsi, et al. "The Environmental Price of Fast Fashion." Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, vol. 1, no. 4, 2020, pp. 189-200. ResearchGate, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340635670_The_environmental_price_of_fast_fashion.
3. Hinton, Jennifer. Relationship-to-Profit: A Theory of Business, Markets, and Profit for Social Ecological Economics. Université Clermont Auvergne; Stockholms universitet, 2021. HAL Thèses, https://theses.hal.science/tel-04097146/.
