We’ve always known buying second-hand is a good choice. It keeps good stuff in circulation, saves you money and means we don’t need to make something new every time we need something.
But we wanted to know: how much better is second-hand for the planet, really? So, with support from Love Wānaka, we teamed up with the amazing team at Planetary Accounting Network (PAN) to put some actual numbers behind it.
We took a pair of second-hand jeans from Wastebusters and compared their environmental footprint with a brand-new pair of jeans.
The result? Buying the second-hand pair can have up to 180 times lower environmental footprint than buying a brand-new pair!
Yep. 180 times.
So, what does that actually mean?
PAN found that a pair of second-hand jeans bought from Wastebusters uses around 3% of an average person’s daily planetary environmental budget.
The fabric alone for a brand-new pair can use up to 540% of that same daily budget.
That’s more than five days’ worth of your planetary budget – before the jeans have even been sewn, packaged, transported or made it onto a shop shelf.
That difference surprised even us.
What on earth is a planetary budget?
Fair question. PAN has developed something called Planetary Facts, which works a bit like a nutrition label – but for the planet.
Instead of telling you how much sugar or protein is in something, it looks at the environmental impact of the things we buy across areas like greenhouse gas emissions, water use, biodiversity, waste, pollution, land use and deforestation.
It takes some pretty complicated science and turns it into information the rest of us can actually understand. As Kate Meyer from Planetary Accounting Network explains:
“Most people have no idea of the environmental cost behind the things they buy. Planetary Facts work like a nutrition label for the planet, helping people understand the impact of their choices and make decisions that support a healthier future.”
And second-hand is easier on the wallet too
The environmental numbers are pretty impressive, but there’s another side to this.
Second-hand costs less.
A pair of jeans from Wastebusters can cost around one-eighth of the price of buying a new pair. With household budgets feeling pretty stretched right now, that matters.
Our General Manager here at Wastebusters, Gina Dempster says that’s part of what makes reuse such a powerful option. “We’ve always known that choosing second-hand is one of the best things you can do for the environment. This project has given us the data to prove just how significant that difference really is.
“What makes second-hand so powerful is that it’s a win on both sides. It helps people save money, while also reducing the environmental impact of our choices. It’s a simple everyday action that makes a real difference.”
The best stuff is the stuff we actually use
One of the things that really stood out to us in this research was just how many of our planet’s resources go into making new clothing. That doesn’t mean never buying anything new again. It means thinking a little more about what we buy and what happens to the things we already have.
Buy things you really love. Wear them lots. Repair them when you can. And when you’re finished with something that still has plenty of life left in it, pass it on. Because the resources have already gone into making that pair of jeans, jacket, table, toaster or pair of skis.
The longer we can keep that good stuff doing its job, the better.
This Second Hand September, give second-hand a go
September is Second Hand September, which seems like a pretty good time to put all this research into action. Before buying new, have a look second-hand first.
Having a spring clean? Donate your good stuff to Wasties so we can get it back into circulation. And when you do buy something new, make it something you really love and plan to use for a long time.
No grand gestures required. Just good stuff, staying in use for longer.
And it turns out that can make a pretty massive difference.
Want to geek out on the numbers?
The Planetary Facts dashboard is now publicly available here so you can explore the environmental impacts behind everyday products and see how they stack up against what our planet can sustainably support.
This research was delivered by Planetary Accounting Network in partnership with Wastebusters, with funding support from Love Wānaka.
