This is the Second-Hand Effect
The retail industry is collectively responsible for 25% of global emissions. As such, circular business models are crucial in mitigating the industry’s impact and helping to avoid emissions, but until recently, accurate data to quantify their effects at scale was missing.
This report is a collaborative effort between carbon-calculation software maker Vaayu and Schibsted Marketplaces’ recommerce marketplaces.
The replacement rate in the Nordics
Our report found that around half of second-hand purchases made in the Nordics replace new ones. This replacement rate – which measures and assesses how effectively second-hand fashion items can substitute new ones – was relatively uniform in all our markets: Denmark at 55%, Norway at 54%, Sweden at 50% and Finland at 47%. This means that 54% of second-hand items purchased from second-hand platforms in Norway replace the purchase of a similar new item.
Key findings
By the numbers
Findings showed that, collectively, Schibsted Marketplaces avoided 349,726 tonnes CO2e, equivalent to:
1,883,425 car journeys from Oslo to Stockholm and back
Producing 2,388,937 new bicycles
“We want to empower our users to reduce their consumption of new products by making it easier to choose second-hand products than new ones.”
CEO, Schibsted Marketplaces
Making the sustainable alternative the obvious choice
These findings offer a foundational understanding and clear benchmarks for Schibsted Marketplaces’ ongoing efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and support sustainable consumer choices.
This report demonstrates how second-hand commerce can help avoid carbon emissions and is advancing a more sustainable retail industry.