Stop Buying Second Hand

Introducing our Circle of Impact Masterclass series, which we have been working on with the University of Sussex Business School.

This month is second hand September, and what better way to celebrate than to release the first film from this series, ‘Stop Buying Second Hand’.

Shopping second hand is a really great way to prolong the life of a garment, which is a key element of the circular economy. This is much better than buying new, fast fashion garments as you are not directly supporting the corrupt fast fashion supply chain. However, second hand garments still need to be purchased smartly, with the intention of being kept for a long time.

The issue lies in the resale of fast fashion garments. Buying fast fashion second hand still promotes the consumption of fast fashion, because people feel as though they can get rid of their clothes after a couple of wears and do not value the item. Furthermore, these garments are not made with circular materials, so eventually will still end up in landfill one way or another.

Many influencers promote shopping second hand as the solution for fast fashion. They believe that because their clothes are second hand, they are guilt free. Unfortunately, this is not the case. You can still over consume second hand clothes!! 

Buying second hand clothing with a fast fashion mindset is not the answer to our overconsumption. We need to buy less, higher quality garments which we know we will wear over and over again. It is vital to invest into circular businesses to really make system change.

Learn more about shopping second hand in our Circle of Impact Masterclass Series!

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