Sustainability practices on the Second-Hand Market. A Comparative Analysis of a For-Profit and Non-Profit Second-Hand organization

Abstract

Reusing clothing through second-hand consumption can aid the shift towards circular economies by extending the lifespan of clothes. In the past, non-profit organizations have dominated the second-hand market in Western Europe. However, the market has seen an increase in for-profit companies over the last ten years in response to the rising interest in second-hand consumption. We conducted a qualitative case study comparing one non-profit and one for-profit business operating in Sweden’s second-hand clothing market to explore the impact of different business forms on a changing second-hand market and a socially justified circular economy. Our findings reveal that while a growing second-hand clothing market can facilitate the transition to a circular economy, it raises concerns over who has access to the used clothes, how these materials are distributed when unsold, and how profits are shared.