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Report Finds Resale Can Reduce Carbon Footprints — Sometimes

A new study from Trove and Worldly found that if luxury and outdoor apparel brands can grow their resale offering to account for a quarter of total revenue, then they can substantially reduce carbon emissions. Fast fashion, not so much.
Customer trading in a pre-owned item for store credit.
B2B resale provider Trove in action. Trove works with brands such as Eileen Fisher, Patagonia, Arc'terxy, Canada Goose and Lululemon. (Daniel Zetterstrom)

A new study conducted by resale service provider Trove and Worldly, the sustainability analytics provider formerly known as Higg Inc., has found that branded resale efforts — such as Coach’s pre-owned offering (Re)Loved or Patagonia’s secondhand platform called Worn Wear — can have a positive effect on carbon footprints, though it won’t be as effective as other supply chain decarbonisation efforts such as reducing waste in the production process or using recycled materials.

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Further Reading

Is Resale Fuelling Overconsumption?

Ultra-fast fashion e-tailer PrettyLittleThing is the latest brand to launch a secondhand marketplace, playing into a debate over whether resale is becoming a smokescreen for even more and faster consumption.

The Resale Gold Rush Rolls On

BoF unpacks emerging models of resale services for brands, including Reflaunt, a startup that counts Ganni’s founder among its latest investors, and Vestiaire Collective’s new ‘Brand Approved’ programme.

About the author
Cathaleen Chen
Cathaleen Chen

Cathaleen Chen is Retail Editor at The Business of Fashion. She is based in New York and drives BoF’s coverage of the retail and direct-to-consumer sectors.

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