Secondhand First: Shop Sustainably by Shopping Estate Sales
“Reduce, reuse, recycle,” is the mantra for keeping our planet clean and healthy.
With estate sales, you can do all three.
No, really. Shopping secondhand is one of the best ways to reduce the resources used to create new products, reuse existing items and recycle (or upcycle) things we’ve already made.
A big part of taking care of Mother Earth is practicing sustainable shopping. Whether you’re looking for clothes, shoes, household items or furniture, you can find high-quality items secondhand.
Even better? Shopping secondhand saves you money while also helping to save the planet.
Let’s take a look at how.
The Cycle of Buying New
Getting a brand new pair of jeans or shoes feels great at the moment, but it has heavy implications for our planet. Clothing requires vast amounts of resources to produce. In fact, it takes 2,700 liters of water to produce the cotton needed to produce a single t-shirt. Unfortunately, most pieces of clothing don’t enjoy a very long life, either, and the onslaught of fast fashion has made the situation even worse. According to a 2019 Insider report, “The equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes is burned or dumped in a landfill every second.”
It’s horrifying, isn’t it?
Why do these items get discarded so quickly? Because there are newer, trendier styles already on the shelves a week later. Producing all of these items places a huge strain on the planet. While we’ve focused on clothing, the same problem exists with electronics, furniture and household items. Creating new products takes up resources and produces harmful emissions. Additionally, it’s unusual for an item to be used or enjoyed to the true end of its lifespan. Usable, quality items are thrown out to make room for new ones.
Secondhand Shopping Helps
One of the best ways to address the carbon footprint we create from making new products is to purchase secondhand goods. Buying secondhand is an incredibly sustainable way to help our planet. When you purchase secondhand items, you breathe new life into products that are already made. Doing so keeps those items out of the landfill.
Not only does “choosing used” cut down on unnecessary waste and resource depletion, it’s fun! It’s like hunting for treasure, and you can get your hands on anything from like-new, contemporary items to drool-worthy vintage goods and antiques from centuries past. (When it comes to a lot of things, the saying is true - they just don’t make ‘em like they used to.)
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Make a Pledge to Yourself and Your Planet
Show your love to this planet we all call home and make a promise to shop secondhand first whenever possible. It’s an easy, fun, practical way to improve yourself and your environment.
Shopping secondhand means:
- Reducing your carbon footprint
- Breathing new life into existing items
- Exploring styles and trends with less cost, commitment and guilt
- Finding opportunities to get creative with low-cost upcycling projects
- Discovering unique, quality pieces that allow you to express yourself
- Decreasing the demand for the production of new items
- Spending less (often on higher quality items!)
- Being part of an amazing community
Shop Blue Moon Estate Sales for Secondhand Treasures
Start shopping secondhand today with Blue Moon Estate Sales. We sell cars, kitchenware, appliances, jewelry, clothing, decor, furniture… You name it, we sell it! Giving new life to something that already exists and sourcing it directly from a home (No shipping necessary!) is really the most sustainable way to go. Find an estate sale near you today.