Secondhand

Imports of used clothing and accessories have seen a significant dip of 50% in the last 16 years in the Central African country of Cameroon.

Media reports on the amount of textile waste being imported into African countries is much lower than the estimated 40% or more with less than 5% of the imports to Ghana could be considered waste.

New numbers released by environmental group WRAP on Tuesday show that the state of post-consumer textiles in the UK does not augur well for circularity, and the situation is compounded by concerns that the recycling and reuse sector is on the verge of collapse.

A truly circular economy ought to not only recycle goods, but also prevent the future production of waste. And by that measure, clothing markets are failing spectacularly. Second-hand reselling is failing to make a dent in the unfathomable scale of production in the international textiles market.

Second-hand will not save the planet! To ensure global sustainability, in line with agreed climate and environmental goals, the industry needs to look at, and challenge, existing business models, overproduction/ overconsumption, the way we shop, says a new study.

Will secondhand fashion, including luxury, become as big as firsthand? Yes, says Stephanie Crespin, Founder & CEO of Reflaunt.com, a resale technology provider for fashion brands which claims a network spanning over 350 million secondhand shoppers globally. texfash.com in conversation.

In a “goal” to bring its “most loyal customers into our shareholder base”, second-hand fashion marketplace Vestiaire Collective has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise at least €1 million from individual investors.

Knof is a Slovenian social enterprise with a focus on circularity and sustainability. Based in the town of Krško, it runs six Stara Šola reuse boutiques, using a market model that has positive effects on the environment, the local economy and the community. Director Mojca Žganec Metelko and Coordinator of Reuse Stores Nina Goriaeva in a conversation about the Stara Šola saga.

As extreme weather hits all corners of the globe, research by the NGO Oxfam says that secondhand clothing could help reduce climate-damaging emissions during manufacturing by extending the life of clothes and reducing the need for brand-new clothes.

When a practising lawyer decided to start a rent-your-clothes service in India way back in 2016, in a market where rental is still quite a taboo, she slogged at all levels—from the warehouse to the retail store and even home-delivered orders to customers. Her company, valued at ₹500 million, today rents out 300 garments each day. Aanchal Saini, Chief Executive Officer of the country's first and largest fashion rental company, Flyrobe, recounts her journey.