Last year, people sold over 26 million used items, saving 4.2 million tonnes of materials and 34 million tonnes of CO2-eq emissions on platforms run by CME member OLX Group.
People using Schibsted’s platforms, another CME member, potentially saved 1.2 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by buying and selling on their marketplaces.
Hence, we know for fact that buying and selling second-hand translates to savings in greenhouse gas emissions and fewer wasted materials.
But what if you really want something new and that old chair or dress just doesn’t do it for you anymore? Two users of Schibsted’s platforms, Lykke Laura Ærø and Aleksandra Kulczycka, have a solution.
Sustainable fashion with a second-hand sewing machine
Lykke received a second-hand sewing machine bought on the Danish Schibsted platform DBA, as a Christmas present from her mother. Her mother thought that would benefit from taking up sewing, to get a break from Lykke’s full-time job, as a professional football player.
As Lykke learned to sew, she found that her creations became more unique if she used recycled fabric. She now earns good money from her sustainable hobby, giving old textiles a new life.
Selling redesigned furniture from FINN on FINN
Using Schibsted platform FINN, Aleksandra has made business out of buying second-hand furniture, redesigning it, and selling it again. It started as a personal project to give her new home a more personal touch, but she became hooked on redesign and couldn’t stop.
In the beginning, she bought or picked up the furniture herself, refurbished it and sold it – both via FINN and her Facebook page. Gradually, she started taking orders from customers who want something completely unique. She sells the “new” furniture from NOK 500 and up, and since 2016 she has been designing furniture full-time.
“Reuse is very important to me. I don’t care about new fashion and cheap plastic furniture. That’s why my absolute favourites are the difficult projects. If it hadn’t been for me buying or acquiring these pieces of furniture, they might have ended up in the landfill. After I have refurbished them, they can once again be used for many years, and if a piece of furniture cannot be saved, then there are always parts of it that I can use.”
Circular consumption is key if we are to reach the goals of the European Green Deal, and buying and selling second-hand is one of the easiest ways to consume in a circular way! Check back on this page in future for more stories from CME members’ users explaining how they have given products a second or even third life, thereby contributing to the circular economy.