Not-So-Conscious Consumption
The holidays are here — a time to reflect on the past year, spend time with loved ones, and set goals for the year ahead. Unfortunately, another common theme of the holiday season is overconsumption and with that comes a lot of unethical labor practices, waste, and pollution.
- It’s estimated that overall household waste in the U.S increases up to 25% between Thanksgiving and New Years.
- Around 85% of textiles end up in landfills each year, and the holiday season significantly contributes to this waste. Fast fashion companies often produce more clothing items to meet holiday demands, leading to overproduction and excess inventory.
- Raw goods for brand new garments made from virgin plastics, metals, and fibers are responsible for nearly 10% of global carbon emissions.
One Solution: Secondhand Gifting
As an eco-conscious consumer these impacts are important to keep in mind this time of the year. Being conscious of the gifts you are giving is a great way to make a positive impact and also start conversations with the people in your life about why sustainable shopping and gifting is important.
One way to reduce the harms of overproduction is to prioritize secondhand shopping, cutting the need for untouched raw materials. Secondhand shopping can also cut climate emissions required to produce new goods, cut emissions from overseas shipping, reduce packaging needs, and help prioritize re-commerce markets over fast or “trendy” consumption.
Shopping secondhand or resale on the other hand, is a trend we can get behind. Secondhand shopping is gaining more and more momentum with nearly 12% of apparel consumption being pre-loved garments. Gifting secondhand products can also be less expensive, making the holiday budget a bit more comfortable in the long run as well as being more eco-friendly. Some consumers are even finding pre-loved gifts to be more meaningful due to the uniqueness of the gift and the story it may have behind it.
Questions To Ask Yourself
With any new sustainable solutions, does come some potential setbacks or “stigmas”. Secondhand gifting is a great concept, for our planet and your wallet, but it does lead us to ask some interesting questions.
- Would you be comfortable buying secondhand gift for your friends and family? Why or why not?
- Do you buy some of your gifts secondhand already?
- Would you tell your friend or relative that it was a secondhand gift? Is this part of its value?
- How would you feel if you received a pre-loved gift?
Purchase Pre-Loved
To get behind the secondhand gifting trend and give a try this holiday season, shop Wolven Pre-Loved this season. Stand out and buy secondhand pieces while also saving the planet and kicking fast-fashion to the curb. Join the movement and have fun shopping secondhand gifts this year, Wolfpack.
Written By Katarina Guenther
Hello! My name is Katarina Guenther, a soon-to-be Kent State University graduate, and a fashion design and product development intern here at Wolven. Fueled by a passion for sustainable fashion, I am committed to making a positive impact in the fashion industry.
