Resale Exploding Is Not an Automatic Win for the Climate

More people are buying pre-loved items as they make greener choices, but there's a long way to go to fix the fashion industry's climate ills. Between 2021 and 2022, brands' adoption of resale grew by more than 300%, according to a report by resale platform thredUP, with dozens more apparel companies expanding their online stores to include used items in addition to new ones. Normalizing used shopping is essential for an industry that generates roughly 100 million tons of waste each year. Still, the true measure of success—from an environmental and climate standpoint—will be whether resale can begin to displace new production and help fashion brands cut down on total emissions. "Brands have to be involved in setting long-term goals and create new strategies, establishing partnerships that will allow them to continue to grow their revenue without being dependent on growing their production," Erin Wallace, vp of integrated marketing at thredUP, told Adweek. A Dim Economy Could Price Out Most Sustainable Shoppers Designing for convenience In order for people to change their behavior, it has to be as seamless as possible. "There's an intention gap," explained Karin Dillie, vp of partnerships at resale platform Recurate. "[People] want to buy and sell secondhand, but they don't do it as much as they wish they could." Recurate, which works with brands like designer Michael Kors, travel gear company Peak Design and footwear shop Steve Madden, lets shoppers see used options alongside new ones by integrating the with the brands' ecommerce platform. Rather than getting people to seek out the used options separately or work with a third party to sell their used items, Recurate simplifies peer-to-peer resale by automatically filling in the details of a used item, based on sales data, and listing it on the brand's main site. "By brands getting involved, it makes it a lot easier [for people]," Dillie said. Brands already have detailed product descriptions, measurements and images for each item—the same elements that help used items sell well on platforms like eBay and Poshmark, she explained. Part of a larger strategy As more brands turn to resale as part of an overarching sustainability strategy, others jump on the bandwagon with a less detailed climate plan—or no plan at all. That's where resale announcements can veer into greenwashing territory, according to some. More brands need to set audacious goals.Erin Wallace, vp of integrated marketing at thredUP Resale programs from ultra-fast fashion brands "have almost no value," said Ken Pucker, senior lecturer on sustainable business dynamics at The Fletcher School at Tufts University. Rather than evidence of a strategic shift, a new resale initiative can simply act as cover for overproduction and poor environmental standards. "Who really wants to buy someone else's $12 tube top for $7?" he asked. "These products are not built to last in the first place. A second life on a $12 jeans—I'm not sure it's gonna save the planet." There are a few ways to measure how committed a brand is to its resale program. With its monthly Recommerce 100 report, thredUP shows how each brand's resale inventory changes year over year. That can help shoppers understand which companies are making progress toward building out a more robust resale arm. "More brands need to set audacious goals and then find the right partners to get them there," Wallace said. She points to Tommy Hilfiger, which launched its resale and take-back programs with thredUP in August as part of a broader goal to become a fully circular fashion brand by 2030. The brand is investing in more than just secondhand infrastructure—it's committed to phasing out virgin oil-based polyesters by 2025, for example, and using lower-impact manufacturing processes and sustainable fabrics. Fixing fashion's problems But even if resale is seamlessly executed by well-meaning brands and platforms, the fashion industry will likely still be creating problems for the climate. "[We don't] have evidence yet that says that increased sales of secondhand goods have slowed sales from the kind of primary market," said Pucker. "I don't view [resale] as a panacea." For one, there needs to be a cultural shift away from overconsumption. In a 2022 report, thredUP found that a third of younger shoppers feel addicted to fast fashion. In response, the company launched a tongue-in-cheek confession hotline to help people identify and address their shopping habits. Using advertising to help break that cycle is one way marketers can play a role in shifting the cultural narrative. Less Than 1% of Clothing Is Made Into New Garments. These Brands Want to Change That Resale platform The RealReal developed a sustainability calculator to help its buyers and sellers understand how buying used instead of new can lower the greenhouse gas emissions generated by those purchases. The platform, which focuses on authenticated luxury consignment, aims "to reinforce and raise awareness of the positive impact of resale, while incentivizing behavior by showing the impact that customers personally have through what they buy and sell," explained James Rogers, head of sustainability for the company. Still, changes must be made at the brand level—like designing for recyclability, limiting overproduction and unnecessary waste and choosing lower-impact materials and processes. "More than 60% of clothing materials are derivatives of plastics," Rogers noted. "Fashion brands are beginning to look at regenerative materials as part of their design and production, but my hope is that this ramps up in 2023."