The Environmental Side of Online Luxury Consignment - Written by Josie Howell

The Environmental Side of Online Luxury Consignment

 

            People today are trying to be environmentally conscious as possible due to the climate changes and just the general over polluting over the earth. The green business is booming and most people are trying to do their part in helping save the earth. One of the major ways that can help is both consigning your clothes and buying clothing through consignment. Even big-name celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker shop second-hand for the very reason that it is the environmentally-friendly choice. Even just donating your clothes and repurposing them in anyway is better than throwing them away and letting them sit in a landfill. Consigning clothes is just a good way to repurpose clothes while getting a payday at the same time.

 

            When you buy through consignment, sell to consignment shops, or even donate to thrift stores, you help cut down on energy and costs retailers have to use when we buy clothes brand-new. When we recycle clothing, it means that new clothes don’t have to be bought and then made again, therefore, we don’t have to waste resources on making, transporting, and buying new clothing when there are pre-owned clothes that have already been made and transported that simply just need a new owner.

 

Clothing is also not the only things that can be recycled. Consignment stores also tend to sell house-hold goods, jewelry, and even furniture. All of which would be better off being recycled rather than sitting out in storage somewhere or even worse sitting in a landfill for the rest of eternity. Recycling these types of items also save on energy and labor costs when buying these items pre-owned rather than brand-new. Even the U.S. Environmental Protection agency recommends that we work with resale shops in order to help recycle any of our unwanted to goods. It goes a lot farther into helping the environment than we may realize.

 

Consignment shops also surprisingly help cut down on agricultural pollution. One major way is by cutting down on cotton production. When we buy less brand-new clothing that is made with cotton, which is most clothing by the way, it cuts down on the amount of cotton we have to grow. This also cuts down on the water used to grow the cotton. This is important because about 60% of water is wasted when growing cotton. Pesticides are also used in the process which contribute to air pollution. Needless to say, cotton is certainly not the most environmentally friendly crop to produce, which makes recycling the clothes made with cotton that much more important.

 

A lot of people tend to turn to online consignment and just buying second hand in general as a boycott to the textile industries terrible working conditions. Textile industries often treat their workers terribly with long hours, low wages, and provide an over-crowded and often dangerous work environment. Every time you buy that sweater from Old Navy or pair of booties from Saks Fifth Avenue, you’re supporting the textile industry and how they treat their employees. Working conditions in China are so bad that the companies often have to put up suicide nets, and how these working conditions are legal, even in China, is beyond anyone.

 

Now of course we all find ourselves shopping at main stream stores to buy very specific items, but it is a good idea to get what you can from online consignment stores or really any second-hand boutiques. Sarah Jessica Parker says she tries to buy everything second-hand, but she has a hard time finding pants and jeans that she likes and that fits her well, so buying some things brand-new is understandable. Although, if Sarah Jessica Parker can style pre-owned clothing, anyone can. And since consignment stores pay their clients for the clothes they donate, their clothes tend to be in great condition most of the time. So, while you are helping the environment and not supporting big corporation greed, you still get quality clothing that is typically still relevant and in fashion.

 

There are two types of payments when you consign your clothing to consignment shops. There is the standard payment upon dropping off your items, but there are some stores that won’t pat you until your items have been sold. This means that there is a chance you won’t get paid if your clothes do not sell, but you will still help benefit the environment by recycling your clothes. If you don’t like the second option, there are plenty of consignment shops, brick-and-mortar and online, that will pay you upon dropping off or sending in the items.

 

Online luxury consignment has become the smarter way to shop for luxury goods, but it has become obvious that consignment in general is just a good thing to do. Buying clothing, jewelry, and even furniture cuts down on waste significantly. This is so important since we are such a wasteful generation. Wasted energy and resources mean the Earth becomes that much more polluted and global warming gets that much worse. As human beings, who owe our lives to Earth being healthy, and we have to do our parts in making sure it stays that way. There are a million little things everyone can do to help the earth, but buying second hand and through consignment can make a much bigger difference than we could ever imagine.