Move Over Fast fashion – Sales In Preloved and Repair Are Gaining Momentum

Fast fashion could be left in the closet as preloved and repair options increasingly replace the demand for new purchases.

A new report from WRAP highlights how circular business models, including resale platforms like Depop, eBay, and Vestiaire Collective, as well as repair services from The Seam, SOJO, and Finisterre, are displacing the need for new clothing sales. Key findings from the report, Displacement Rates Untangled, reveal the significant environmental benefits of these models, which are helping reduce the demand for new clothes.

For example:

• For every five items repaired, four new purchases are avoided (an 82.2% displacement rate).
• For every five preloved items bought, three new purchases are displaced (64.6%).

Repairing a cotton t-shirt instead of buying new can save over 7.5 kg of CO2e—equivalent to 25 hours of ironing. Purchasing second-hand jeans online can save over 30 kg of CO2e, roughly the same as making 600 cups of tea.

The findings underscore how circular business models, such as repair and resale, are crucial in reducing clothing-related emissions. The global clothing industry has a significant environmental impact, contributing to 10% of global carbon emissions and consuming vast amounts of water. WRAP’s research shows that scaling up these models can play a key role in mitigating that impact.

Harriet Lamb, WRAP’s CEO, said: “Our research demonstrates that buying preloved satisfies the desire for something new, while reducing the environmental footprint. For the first time, we have a clear, consistent method to measure the environmental benefits of circular models like repair and resale.”

Clothing production and consumption have skyrocketed in recent years, with production doubling between 2000 and 2015. As the second-largest global consumer of water and contributor to carbon emissions, the textile industry must embrace circular business models to shift away from overproduction and overconsumption. WRAP’s report outlines how adopting repair and resale can reduce the environmental costs associated with new clothing.

The displacement rates reveal a significant reduction in the demand for new purchases. For every five repaired items, four new clothes are not bought, and for every five second-hand items purchased, three new purchases are avoided. These figures underscore the potential for repair and resale to reshape the industry and reduce environmental harm.

The full report provides a methodology that businesses can adopt to measure the environmental impact of repair and resale accurately. This new standard can be applied to various circular business models, including redistribution and rental, to help businesses and consumers better understand the environmental benefits of their choices.

“By embracing circularity, we’re not just reducing waste, we’re also creating a more sustainable and affordable fashion future,” said Lamb.

The report was launched at WRAP’s Textiles 2030 Circular Summit and is part of an ongoing effort to establish the Circular Living Standards for Preloved Clothing.

Supporting statements from key industry players such as Depop, eBay, Vestiaire Collective, Finisterre, The Seam, and SOJO reinforce the importance of these findings, and their commitment to expanding circular practices within the fashion industry.

WRAP encourages all companies to adopt the new methodology, providing businesses with the tools to quantify the environmental impact of circular fashion models and further push the industry towards sustainable change.

FashionCapital / Fashion-Enter Ltd CEO Jenny Holloway added: “It’s fantastic that WRAP’s recent research shows a real shift towards repair and resale. Since coming out of the COVID pandemic we have pivoted our business model at Fashion-Enter Ltd to incorporate repairs, repurposing and recycling. We have partnered with the United Repair Centre and taken on repurposing production for well-known brands. Working collaboratively we can make a difference and implement circular business models for the good of the industry and the planet.”

Image by Sarah O’Shea – pexels.com