An essential part of reversing climate change is to stop producing so many new things, and make better use of what we have. Governments and businesses need to fundamentally change the way products are designed so that companies aren't allowed to ignore the environmental impact of what they produce, and only make good quality products that last. But there's also a lot we can do as individuals, such as choosing to support the second-hand market.
You can buy literally anything second hand, and in many cases items are still in excellent condition.
Where to buy second hand at a glance:
There are lots of online shops and apps for pre-loved items. We've tried to list as many options as we could think of, but please let us know if we've missed any!
Clothes
- Find a local charity shop using the Charity Retail Association search
- Ebay
- Oxfam Online
- Depop
- Vinted
- Facebook Marketplace
- Vestiaire Collective
- Etsy (good for vintage)
- Traid online shop
- Retold Vintage
- Crisis online shop
- British Heart Foundation online shop
- Marie Curie online shop
- Sue Ryder online shop
- Ferris App
Electrical items and homeware
- Wallapop
- Shpock
- Ebay
- Facebook Marketplace
- Gumtree
- CeX
- Crisis online shop
- British Heart Foundation online shop
- Marie Curie online shop
- Private neighbourhood social networks like Nextdoor also have a ‘free items’ section
- Sue Ryder online shop
- Ferris App
Furniture
- Use a search engine to find local second-hand or antique furniture shops
- The Reuse Network directory shows where furniture reuse organisations are located
- Ebay
- Facebook Marketplace
- Gumtree
- Wallapop
- Reuse Shop
- Crisis online shop
- British Heart Foundation online shop
- Marie Curie online shop
- Sue Ryder online shop
- If you live in or around Barnet, check out Barnet Furniture Centre which is a furniture reuse charity
- Ferris App
What about items you no longer want?
You can sell unwanted items on Ebay, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, Shpock or Wallapop. Good quality reusable items can also be donated to charity; take them along to a local shop, or some charities will collect items for free, such as Sue Ryder, Marie Curie, British Heart Foundation and Klasp.
Besides the lists above, check out Olio, Freegle, Freecycle and Trash Nothing. These sites can be especially good for giving away slightly unusual items. Give it a try because the item you're trying to get rid of might be the exact thing that someone else is looking for.
Finally, you can also consider borrowing items for a few days. This is great if you’re short of money and space or only need something for a brief time. Many areas have borrowing libraries and Library of Things lists them all for ease. There’s also Fat Llama if you prefer the online option.
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