When you're done with a piece of clothing, what do you do with it? If you're like most people, you either donate it or throw it away. But there is another option – you can consign it.
Consigning your clothes means you are contributing to a circular fashion economy – making that clothing stand the test of time – by keeping it around as long as possible and avoiding it ending up in a landfill, burned into the environment, or ending up in the ocean.
Facts:- The textile industry creates 92 million tons of waste every year.*
- The average consumer discards 81.5 pounds of clothes every year.*
- The apparel industry’s global emissions will increase by 50% by 2030.*
- Eighty-five percent (85%) of our clothes end up in landfills or are burned every year.**
As consumers of clothing, we have the power to change the behavior of the mass apparel industry, by making a stand by not shopping retail. When done en masse, our actions can dictate the output of the mass apparel industry. Together, we can make a difference by circulating our clothes (and other fashionable pieces, such as jewelry, handbags, shoes, etc.) to each other by thrifting or consignment.
Let’s consider the difference between thrifting and consignment:
Thrifting can be defined as purchasing from a secondhand store, such as a Goodwill, Salvation Army, local thrift store run by a non-profit as a means to fund raise, or Poshmark, Depop, etc.) Thrift stores can be a mecca for really great fashion pieces at very low price.
Consigning is to give your used clothes to a consignment shop to sell on your behalf or for you to directly purchase from a store that has “vetted” the clothing for you and sells like-new or gently used clothing at typically a third of the retail price. As a consignor, you profit from the final sale of the item. The sale price is set by the consignment shop, as is the revenue split, which can be anywhere from 40 to 60% of the sale price going to the consignor.
Both of these options are a great way to contribute to reducing apparel/textile waste.
If you’re interested in consigning, Read On
*Source: Earth.org
**Source. Pirg.com