Thrifting: Sustainable or Just a Trend?

Abstract

Thrifting: Is it the answer to textile waste or just another trend? This research is an examination of how today’s generation uses the practice of thrifting versus the environmentally beneficial origins of second-hand clothing. In recent years, teens and young adults have been making a profit through purchasing low-cost items from thrift stores and reselling them on popular websites at a much higher cost. This brings up the potential issue of gentrification wherein the thrifting experience has become something of privilege (Abdellatif et al., 2020 p. 51), rather than just an eco-friendly or low-budget approach to shopping. At the basis of it all is whether or not these consumers care about the environmental impact of their habits or if it is all about staying trendy. Results from the research explore the psychology behind this trend-driven consumerism, sustainable shopping habits, and how this idea of reselling thrifted items will impact sustainability in the future.