Finding useful things at a thrift store is a thrilling feeling. Coming up with some chic clothes, furniture, or even some kitchenware without paying full price is a win-win for you and the environment.
Recently a clutch thrift store find was shared on Reddit: an All-Clad stainless steel frying pan that can retail for over $300. You really can find brand names for a fraction of the price while thrifting. Recently, a customer purchased a used Vitamix blender for $10 that retails for $600 new.
The r/ThriftStoreHauls subreddit was really impressed with how clean the poster was able to get the pan. With an acid-based cleaner and a little elbow grease, the pan was just like new. "Cleaned up real nice," the original poster said.
Shopping at thrift and secondhand stores is beneficial to the environment because it reduces waste in addition to reducing the need for manufacturing new items, which can lower both your and the companies' carbon footprint. Further, since many thrift stores are run by charities, patronizing these stores is also helpful for your community.
According to ThredUp, an online consignment store, buying used clothing reduces your carbon footprint by 82%. Buying used keeps perfectly good items out of landfills. One study shows Americans toss 13 million tons of clothes to landfills each year. The more our landfills grow, the more land that will be needed for waste management. As waste decomposes in landfills, potent greenhouse gases are produced that are detrimental to the environment as well as human health.
Check out our guide to shopping at thrift stores.
Retail clothing companies are also getting in on the resale fun. Top name brands like Lululemon, Patagonia, and Free People are all involved in the resale market. ThredUp expects secondhand clothing to make up at least 10% of the global apparel market.
🗣️ What's your primary motivation in shopping at thrift stores?
🔘 Cheaper clothes 🤑
🔘 Trendier items 😎
🔘 Reduced environmental impact 🌎
🔘 I don't thrift 🚫
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Whether you're keeping costs low or simply want to reduce your carbon footprint, go thrifting. You never know what you'll find.
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