The rediscovery of second-hand goods for the environment and savings: the Vinted phenomenon

Every piece of clothing we choose and wear has caused an impact on the planet by being produced and ending up in the wardrobe. Are we aware of it? In fact, it is no news that the fashion sector is among the main culprits of emissions CO₂ and other greenhouse gases, globally. Between the use of water, the growing use of energy, the use of dyes and materials of animal origin, the overproduction of clothing, fashion has a significant carbon footprint. But if instead I buy a second-hand garment, does the impact decrease? It sure looks like it.

This was revealed by the Report on the climate impact of second-hand purchases prepared by Vinted one of the first sites to promote the system of making second-hand the first choice. A market that until a few years ago seemed “niche”, relegated to vintage markets, but which has now exploded, creating an ever-growing community especially among young people. A tangible sign that something is changing both in the perception of fashion products and in attention to the environment.

One out of 5 only buys second hand items

Created in Vilnius in 2008, Vinted counts 30 million users (today the brand is worth a billion dollars). Researchers at Vaayu’s carbon-monitoring platform were asked by company officials to analyze the climate impact of buying second-hand clothing on Vinted versus buying new in 2021. The sample at available to the analysts was that of the entire community, therefore very vast.

They were half a billion transactions examined in real time occurred through the app, while a survey involving consumers was conducted to understand purchasing behaviour 350 thousand users. One in 5 respondents said that “the second choice has become the number one choice”, while another 20% of buyers and sellers answered that they were motivated by environmental and social interests.

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453 thousand tons of CO₂ it was the total carbon emissions saved by the Vinted platform in 2021. The calculation took into account the carbon emissions of products sold through the app, the frequency with which users avoided buying a new garment and the carbon emissions due to deliveries.

“Previous research has shown that extending the life of clothing by just 9 months can reduce CO emissions₂ by 10%but there are few studies to date that have measured the impact that the large-scale buying and selling of secondhand clothing has on the climate,” Vinted executives explained.

Delivery and packaging

These are the two complicated points of ecommerce platforms. “We know from the Report’s findings that we need to further reduce our operational footprint, including emissions related to shipping and packaging,” the report reads. However, the majority of respondents (73% of transactions) chose to receive their item in a collection and delivery pointinstead of at home, reducing emissions by 62%. Not only. 30% of them went to pick up your purchase on foot. Then there is the question of packaging. By using reusable packaging (62%) and not disposable packaging, another 17,000 tonnes of emissions were avoided.

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Explains Namrata SandhuCEO and co-founder of Vaayu: “We are currently at an inflection point. The fashion industry is projected to generate 2.1 billion tonnes of carbon emissions in 2030 and while this urgent threat to our planet may be reduced through circular business models, we first need to understand its impact. Having developed the largest primary dataset ever on second-hand online shopping at scale, we are now better able to understand the potential for emissions savings.”