Second Hand September: Everything You Need To Know

Everything You Need To Know About Second Hand September 

Second hand September is all about challenging why as a society we choose fast fashion and brand new over second hand and preloved clothing. Second hand does not mean second best and should not be overlooked in the face of high street clothing companies that feature in every town centre across the UK. If we chose to shop second hand for just 30 days, the positive environmental impact would be huge! 

Did you know it would take 13 years for one person to drink the amount of water used in the manufacturing process of just one pair of jeans? Could you ever imagine that your jeans drink more water than you do? Did you know the amount of clothing that ends up on UK landfill sites is equal to the weight of the empire state building? 

So this September, Oxfam urges you to get involved and say yes to second hand. If you’re interested in taking the pledge to shop second hand for just 30 days, click here! This year Michaela Coel fronts the campaign, setting the trend for sustainable fashion and preloved garments in Oxfam shop windows across the UK! It’s really that easy. Just think about some of the hidden gems and forgotten treasures you could find, that otherwise could’ve ended up in a dirty heap of clothing, never to be loved or worn again? 

Here at Preloved, we have around 140,000 existing listings of items uploaded by Oxfam. This includes everything from books,hobbies, and photography to clothing,games,garden items, and household furniture. We can’t preach about doing your bit for the planet without getting on board ourselves. That’s why we offer Oxfam a charity membership to ensure all money raised by sales of their items on Preloved goes straight back into the charity. To take a look at all the Oxfam listings we currently have on Preloved, click here.  

Equally, over lockdown, we’ve all had time to reflect upon items of clothing, bags, and shoes in our wardrobes that we no longer want and are ready to part ways with. Having a good old clear out means you can let go of belongings that you don’t have a necessity for anymore. Now you’re wondering what to do with it all? It can’t just be sent off to the landfill, what a waste! You have done the hard part of making the decision to part ways with your once-loved items, so don’t just leave them sitting in bin bags for months or even years.  

Take this opportunity to get on board with Second hand September, to give your clothes a new purpose and lease of life in someone else's hands. Don’t let your used items become part of the huge and worrying problem of throwaway fashion and the issues of unsustainability and pollution that come with it. Why not list your items on Preloved and turn that clothing clutter into some serious cash? 

Share some of your second hand finds with us here.