The highly polluting nature of the fast fashion industry has many consumers looking for greener style choices and one option that is taking off is secondhand clothing. The used clothing market is projected to more than triple in value in the next 10 years, and secondhand solutions could just be the key to cleaning up the clothing industry for good. 

When it comes to secondhand clothing, the industry is made up of two prominent players: thrift stores and resale platforms. What is truly driving this growth in secondhand clothing is the advancement of resale platforms. Technology is largely to thank for these innovative solutions. Peer to peer platforms, like Poshmark, allow customers to easily sell and buy goods with other fashion fiends around the world. 

More direct online retailers, like The RealReal and Thredup, are also taking off as they offer an organized online shopping experience for those who want to buy used, but might not have the time or energy to search through thrift store racks. These easy secondhand shopping options appeal to customers because not only are they an avenue for more sustainable shopping, but they also are a way of acquiring higher quality goods at a lower price tag.

Did you know that the textile industry produces more carbon emissions than the airline and maritime industries combined? Lower quality production, combined with lower prices, means that the average wear time for an item of clothing is decreasing while pollution and emissions run wild. These secondhand fashion platforms are using technology to make used clothing shopping as efficient and even more affordable than buying new.

Although every consumer likes to think they shop with sustainability in mind, the reality is that large-scale green changes don’t happen in an industry without financial incentives to push them along. We look forward to seeing even more growth in the used fashion sector and if you haven’t explored online secondhand clothing yet, what are you waiting for?