Do We Save the Environment by Buying Second-Hand Clothes? The Environmental Impacts of Second-Hand Textile Fashion and the Influence of Consumer Choices

Abstract

Re-use is a high R-ladder strategy in a circular economy. The environmental impacts of re-use are often underreported. This research aims to gain insights into second-hand clothing’s lifecycle impact. Life cycle assessments were conducted for four frequently traded second-hand clothing items, namely t-shirts, dress, trousers and sweaters. Three types of consumers were distinguished (primary user, primary conscious user and second-hand user) and three behaviour scenarios were modelled (fashionable, average and attached consumers). We found that within the same behaviour scenario, embracing second-hand consumption instead of buying new clothes leads to up to 42% lower impacts for climate change and cumulative energy demand, 42-53% for freshwater eutrophication, and 35-53% for water scarcity footprint per use. Reuse mitigates impacts, and is particularly beneficial for high-production impact clothing items. Consuming a rarely used second-hand item can even lead to higher impacts than using a new clothing item which has longevity.