Out With the Old, in With the Used

Out With the Old, in With the Used

Before buying new clothing and accessories to spice up your wardrobe, consider buying second-hand. Not only will this help you save money by avoiding inflated prices of brand names, you’ll also be saving clothing from ending up in a landfill.

How many pounds of clothing have you thrown away this year? (Photo by Bruno Glätsch)

It’s hard to believe, but Americans throw out an average of 81 pounds of clothing every year. With textile production of clothing doubling from 2000 to 2014, 60 percent of clothing contains polyester that can take decades to break down and can pollute the oceans with plastic microfibers.

Sell the gently-used clothing that’s cluttering up your closet. (Photo by Pexels)

Instead of buying from retail stores, download marketplace apps like Poshmark and Mercari to buy second-hand and even make money by selling your gently-used items. Ebay is also a great place to find the specific items you’re searching for.

It’s also easy to contact sellers through these marketplaces to let them know you want your items shipped with as little plastic as possible.

To avoid plastic packaging completely, consider marketplace apps like OfferUp to meet with buyers and sellers instead of shipping items.

Check out your local thrift store for major savings on brand names! (Photo by Pexels)

And of course, don’t forget about thrift stores. Ninety-five percent of clothing that is thrown away has the potential to be re-worn, reused and even recycled. Thrift stores are a great way to find brand names for a steal and donate your gently-used items to a second home.