Secondhand shopping has always been one of the best ways to be fashionable and green at the same time.
In this increasingly environmentally conscious world (and one that’s climbing out of a recession), buying used is actually being on trend. ABC News reported that secondhand clothing sales are going up 35 percent a year, compared to regular retailers that only see gains of about 2 percent. Goodwill saw an 84 percent revenue increase in the sale of donated goods from 2007 to 2012, from $1.9 billion to $3.5 billion.
And as this recent Business Week article shows, it’s even become acceptable to buy used clothing in — gasp! — the luxury goods market.
Buying secondhand is undoubtedly cheaper and has a much smaller carbon footprint compared to newly manufactured items. So that got us wondering, what items are okay to buy pre-owned and what aren’t? Here’s a handy list, according to Business Insider.
Items you should always buy secondhand
Bicycles
Textbooks
Children’s clothing
Cars
Household appliances
Children’s toys
Office furniture
Wedding attire
Pets (meaning that you should check out the local pound or shelter)
Entertainment (DVDs, CDs, electronic games)
A house
Jewels
Designer threads
Items you should never buy secondhand
Bike helmets
Cribs
Laptops
Footwear
Cookware
Hats
Blenders
Upholstered furniture
Camera lenses
Mattresses and pillows
Swimsuits
Wet suits
Vacuum cleaners
Child car seats
Automobile tires
Computer software
Digital cameras
DON’T MISS: 6 Common Environmental Culprits That Need Regulation
Tag: textiles
6 Common Environmental Culprits That Need Regulation
There’s been a lot of buzz lately about California being the first state to ban plastic bags (even though Hawaii arguably deserves the title). This news is undoubtedly fantastic, but it’s really just a small victory in light of much larger environmental problems.
Adam Minter writes on Bloomberg View that the ban — now awaiting Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature — is much more symbolic than real: “Gestures such as these can be important in inspiring broader, more meaningful environmental reform. But they risk fueling a self-congratulatory complacency that distracts from more serious challenges.”
He’s got a point. As Minter says, the 3.4 million tons of plastic bags, sacks and wraps thrown out in 2012 is just 10 percent of the 31.8 million tons of total plastics thrown away, or a mere 1.3 percent of the 251 million tons of solid waste generated annually.
ALSO: Can I Recycle This? 5 Things You Should Always Recycle (and 5 Things You Shouldn’t)
Plastic bags are just a start. Here are six other big, wasteful household items that deserve our attention, and more importantly, what can be done about them.
[ph] [ph] [ph] [ph] [ph] [ph]