Living Planet The resale illusion: Why second-hand isn't always better
Oct 31, 2025
Liz Ricketts, founder of the Orr Foundation and textile waste advocate, sheds light on the environmental issues tied to the second-hand clothing trade. She reveals the shocking amounts of clothing waste on Ghana's beaches and the health effects it has on locals. Discussing the rise of resale markets, Liz warns that buying used can often lead to unconscious consumption. Both Liz and Neil argue for the need for durable, long-lasting fashion and transparency from brands about production practices to combat waste effectively.
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Ghana's Clothing 'Tentacles'
- Liz Ricketts recounts discovering huge piles of textile waste and "tentacles" of clothes on Ghana's coast that sink to the seafloor.
- Her Orr Foundation organizes weekly beach clean-ups that remove about 20 tons of textile waste each week with 150 volunteers.
Fashion's Huge Climate And Water Footprint
- Fashion accounts for roughly 2–10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, exceeding emissions from all planes and ships.
- The industry also consumes and contaminates huge volumes of water through fibre processing and dyeing.
Resale Is Big And Rapidly Growing
- The resale market has exploded, growing two to three times faster than new apparel and worth $227 billion in 2024.
- Online resale dominates, making up most money spent in the US resale market.