In theory, apps for selling second-hand clothes such as Vinted, Depop, ThredUp and Schpock offer an opportunity to be both thrifty and fashionable. Good news for shoppers worried about rising costs and the sustainability of buying new clothes.
Second-hand markets like these, and their in-person iterations like charity shops, have long been lauded as a more savvy, ethical, and environmentally sustainable shopping choice. But our research has found these markets mask the issues caused by our consumption. They offer only individualised, piecemeal solutions to the vast global problem of waste.
Pundits in the business world enthuse about the “circular economy” created by apps which market “pre-loved” garments as a means of extending the lives of clothing and other consumer goods. As with other online resale markets such as Facebook Marketplace and eBay, these apps are firmly situated within the commonsense understanding of the circular economy, as they enable unwanted goods to move on within the system, rather than being consigned to the bin.
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. According to a report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, by 2030 we will produce more than 100 million tonnes of new clothing each year, contributing to climate change more than international flights and shipping combined. Second-hand reselling is failing to make a dent in the unfathomable scale of production in the international textiles market.
Our critique of second-hand spaces suggests a few reasons for this. First, buying and selling second-hand gets talked about and even advertised as what good, clever, thrifty people do, especially under rising costs of living. Using a reselling app, or donating to and buying from charity shops, creates a “warm glow” that offsets the guilt of buying something new.
But most significantly, second-hand markets are built to increase consumption, not cut it back. Charity shops, for example, under increasing pressure to be profitable, have to take on more professionalised and “for-profit” merchandising habits. Even companies that deal in luxury items such as watches and jewellery have embraced the popularity of second-hand shopping as it complements their market and means future consumers can access their goods.
