Second-Hand Fashion Sustainability: Is It Really That Green?

Second-hand fashion sustainability is more complicated than it first appears, especially when resale culture still sits inside a wider system of overconsumption.

Few industries are as wasteful as fashion, partly because its core message to consumers has long revolved around buying something new. According to Earth.org, approximately 11.3 million tons of textile waste end up in landfill each year in the United States, accounting for around 85% of all textiles.

The number of times a garment is worn has also declined sharply, falling by almost 40% since 2007 in the US and by 36% in the UK over the last 15 years. Against that backdrop, second-hand fashion can look like an obvious solution, but the full picture is more complex.

An effective solution that resonates with both brands and consumers is selling used clothing instead of discarding it. Second-hand markets have always been part of our history, from affluent individuals donating clothes to those in need to the allure of discovering unique vintage pieces through thrifting. This market has thrived exponentially in recent years.

For brands, selling second-hand items helps reduce the pressure to adopt more sustainable practices in manufacturing and marketing apparel. For consumers, it’s about factoring ecological and social considerations into their purchasing decisions, and supporting brands and retailers that claim to operate ethically. Consumers view buying used items as environmentally friendly, while brands promote their resale programs as essential components of their sustainability objectives.

The Environmental Aspect

If fashion retailers were to reduce production by one item for every used item sold, it could decrease apparel production by nearly 8% by 2027. However, this scenario is highly hypothetical and time-consuming, possibly exceeding the planet's available time. While the resale industry has been hailed for its environmental benefits in the fashion sector, its actual impact on driving textile circularity is actually very limited.

Online and offline marketplaces dealing with resale items have fallen short of expectations, with only a small fraction of used clothing being resold, contrary to the initial projections. In fact, according to BBC, Vinted posted a loss of €47.1m in 2022, while Depop of £59m in 2023. Many people sell their clothes to these platforms hoping they will find new owners, but in reality, most of the donated items are of insufficient quality for resale as they’re all cheap imports from China, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam, etc. Even when resold, the profit margins for these marketplaces are often not sustainable. For instance, ReCircled, a US-based resale platform, focuses on repurposing the majority of the used garments it receives. These clothes are repurposed for various purposes, including manufacturing yarns and producing composites used in construction and home goods. While upcycling old clothes into something new is good for the environment, there need to be way more businesses doing this in order for the upcycled second-hand market to thrive. We recently attended Stuart Trevor collaboration’s launch with London based vintage shop Beyond Retro. Together, they’re putting together some wonderful reworked vintage pieces that are to die for. The other business doing great things altering existing second-hand fashion is The Alterist, and we would love to hear from you if you know of any other amazing businesses like these ones!

The Financial Aspect

The financial viability of the resale segment remains uncertain due to profitability challenges. From local thrift shops to large online second-hand retailers, it's challenging to find pre-owned clothing businesses that are profitable.

These online retailers have been shipping out second-hand clothes for years, focusing on growth rather than profits, making substantial capital investments, and, in some cases, going public. Despite these efforts, profits have not been as expected, even for major players like ThredUp, Vinted, and The RealReal.

Processing second-hand items is labour-intensive and costly for businesses. Higher costs can lead to increased prices, which can surprise consumers looking for deals. Labour costs sometimes push the price of second-hand clothing above that of new items of similar quality. A recent investigation by The Telegraph labelled thrift shopping in the UK as a "rip-off" highlighting instances where used Primark sweaters were priced higher than new ones.

The Resale Reality

Despite being seen as an eco-friendly alternative to fast fashion, the hidden reality of resale is that second-hand fashion can still be closely connected to the sale of new clothes.

For instance, eBay is widely known for second-hand shopping, yet a large proportion of its products are sold new. Sellpy, the Swedish resale platform, has also grown through a strategic partnership with H&M, a company whose core business still depends heavily on selling new fashion at scale.

That does not mean second-hand fashion has no value. Keeping clothes in circulation matters. But second-hand fashion sustainability depends on whether resale helps reduce overall consumption, or simply becomes another way to keep us shopping.

For resale to be genuinely greener, it needs to support longer garment life, fewer new purchases and a deeper shift away from throwaway fashion.

[information sourced on bbc.com and retaildive.com

All images sourced on canva.com]