Ellen Procter’s Post

Please be careful with shopping pre-loved. The second hand market is a wonderful solution for circularity but there is no evidence that it is slowing the rise of the primary market. Indeed it may well be fuelling it ("I can afford to buy this because I can just sell it on afterwards.") If you are interested in a more sustainable approach to fashion, which means buying less, that also applies to second hand. On the #ruleof5 I allow myself 4 second hand items on top of 5 new a year. This is a great piece from Louise Chunn in The Guardian yesterday applauding the Alexandra Schulman Zadie Smith hosted second hand sale to raise money for local food aid, (and shining a light on Rule of 5, for which, thank you!). The sale is a brilliant way to deploy circularity and ethical fashion. But second hand is not a guilt free all you can eat buffet. Just be careful not to swap your high street addiction for a second hand addiction. https://lnkd.in/ex-TU2Jc

At the Centre of Research from Lusiada University a group of European researchers is just watching this phenomenon. Thanks for sharing Ana Sousa, you are one of them. Also María Ángeles Burguera , Dr. Sandra Meister , Eleni Mouratidou, Elisa Arrigo, Petra Leutner Dr Elaine Ritch. The results will add something to the question 2030 SDG12 raises. Is second hand really promoting a more sustainable Fashion? This is not just a question for manufacturers and retailers, it is a question for consumers. #sustainability #fashionresearch

As at COMEGI the centre of research from Lusiada the European Online Resale project progresses with the collaboration of several colleagues from 6 different countries/universities, the topic focused on this text goes right into the question: Does the resale market really leads to sustainability? Because the issue is not only industry responsibility, it is also a consumers’ responsibility. Reading recommended! #resale #sustainfashion

Interesting…and problematic. Much thrifting as we know it presently is primarily rooted in the “vintage” trend …like all trends it has a shelf life. While more sustainable practice is a by product that’s all it is for many people. The more existential issue is that the viability (financial or otherwise) of the “pre loved” sector is entirely dependent on the consistent supply of new (or as new) quality clothing …going forward that may be a problem as much of what’s coming to market simply isn’t durable enough to stand the test of time (unless it’s hardly been worn…which negates the sustainability aspect somewhat). The current popularity of vintage looks (as opposed to actual vintage clothing) contributes a smoke and mirrors effect as far as real “sustainability” is concerned.

“We treat waste as if it is a free resource. Sure, you might give it away for free, but it takes a tremendous amount of effort and labour and skill to try to re-commodify that thing that you gave away.” Says Elizabeth (Liz) Ricketts Did you know that resale and second-hand companies are mostly not making a profit?! Alden Wicker explains why 👇🏻 #resale #secondhand #circulareconomy #circularfashion #business #circular

Unfortunately we are in a sector where there are a lot of figures bounded around which are routinely accepted as being truthful but where there is little or no evidence to back them up. A case in point is the original estimate by the OR Foundation that 40% of the clothing going to Ghana ended up on landfill sites almost immediately. This was based on a university thesis and was largely derived from interviews with stallholders who told the student that 40% was "trash". What the researcher did not know & explore further is that they use this term for the lowest value used clothing because it does not generate much income, but it is still sold & often onto other traders who sell it in other markets in the region. When I spoke to the OR Foundation last year, they informed me that they were in the process of undertaking a detailed waste compositional analysis of textile waste coming from the market in Accra. In this recent report published by the Dutch Government (Destination of Dutch Used Textiles). https://lnkd.in/eM_a4zg4 it states on page 36 "Around 4% is known as asei, meaning ‘under’, and is unsellable and immediately becomes waste. Monitoring by the OR Foundation shows an increase in the share of asei". This figure of 4% figure of textiles ending up as waste in Ghana is very different to the original 40% estimate and is reflected by a similar estimate by the Mitumba Association of Kenya (Used clothing association) that 2% of goods going into Kenya end up as waste, So yes, some items still go to waste, but it is not anywhere near 40% and what is more this wastage rate still seemingly compares favourably with how much new clothing ends up as waste. Again, I have seen some wild and widely ranging estimates about how much new product ends up unsold and dumped, with some suggesting that this figure is around 30%, but I will stick with an estimate in an article from Bloomberg putting this at 8%. #sustainablefashion #circulareconomy #getthefacts right #climatechange #secondhand #secondhandfashion

An incredibly well presented article by Alden Wicker, however as someone who who has worked in the used textile industry for 16 years exporting to Global markets I find the figure of 40% being widely quoted as ill informed and damaging. I now represent over 75% of the used textile merchants as part of the Textile Recycling Association and I can say without a shadow of doubt that if our members were to ship a 40ft container with 40% rubbish inside they would have no customers and would be out of business very quickly indeed. While a certain amount of low quality items are unavoidable, it certainly is not the 40% that is being quoted, the figure is closer to 4% and in Kenya it is closer to 2%. I myself as well as my colleague Alan Wheeler together with Steven Bethell had an extensive conversation with Elizabeth (Liz) Ricketts of the The Or Foundation Ghana and Elizabeth (Liz) Ricketts agreed that the term 'RUBBISH' as used by merchants in Ghana is not meant in the same context as we in the West use it. The work done by Alden Wicker in highlighting the damage caused by the fast fashion industry is spot on and this issue needs to be tackled. However language is very important and sometimes the right thing said in the wrong context at the wrong time can cause more harm than good. If the general public who do not have a deep understanding of the complexities of the used clothing sector and how vital it is to keep these materials in circulation were to all of sudden be disheartened and started to just dump everything in the bin, then the damage caused would be devastating for the environment as well this extremely vital sector. Without a doubt there has to transparency and accountability, however the first step is to educate the public on the impacts of over consumption. To make people understand and ask the simple question 'Do I need this or do I want it?'

Lots of retailers being called out here in this new report. It's not new news and it certainly not getting any better. What is alarming though is that a major retailer spokesperson thinks that this is okay. A spokesperson for (brand in the article) told me: “As the UK’s largest clothing retailer, we take our responsibility to provide end-of-life options for our clothes seriously and offer our customers options to repair, resell or recycle their garments, including in-store take-back schemes for clothing and beauty products.” They added that it ensures any unsold stock is redistributed to its charity partners, including Oxfam. A quick Google will tell you just what the %s are around charity shops and where the majority of their donations end up. (in Africa) And that is the fundamental issue. Used clothing that has no purpose in the UK also has no purpose in Africa so after its been bailed up and shipped over to Ghana it ends up on the beach because aside from burning it there is no where else for it to go. The problem is fixable but the problem is also that it costs money to fix it and we all know where the sustainability project budgets sit on the CFO priorities. Right at the bottom of he list.

Tips on How to Store Clothes Long Term: Try this #House_Design