Why Buying Used is Important for the Planet
As seasons change and our passions are ignited for new activities to enjoy in the outdoors, some find themselves browsing for gear as a way to mentally, if not physically, prepare for the upcoming adventures. I, as I suspect many of you, rarely splurge on necessities in my day to day life and yet the thought of throwing down a couple of hundred or sometimes even thousand dollars on outdoor equipment seems necessary. These items are directly connected to the experiences in life that we treasure most and allow us to connect with the wonder of the natural world in ways that would be impossible otherwise.
It is easy and common to find ourselves buying brand new gear in anticipation of enjoying our favorite sports or hobbies without thinking about alternative sources for those same items. At Colchuck Consignment, our business model is designed to help fuel a recycling process in the outdoor gear industry, which we believe is pivotal to protecting the resources we cherish. Consignment is nothing new, but we are striving to be more than just a consignment store. We want to help people practice the two most important R’s: Reduce and Reuse, in ways that will make our outdoor adventures all the more satisfying.
Buying used gear helps keep items that are perfectly useful from landfills or incinerators. Every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned (Ellen MacArthur Foundation). That’s not all, it turns out that the production of new textiles is environmentally costly in other ways as well. One new garment can take 77 gallons of water and create 17 lbs of CO2e. However, buying just one used item reduces its carbon, waste, and water footprints by 82% (Center for EcoTechnology). So, by buying used gear you’re doing two important things - reducing the need for new items to be produced, and reusing items that are already made.
Join us in becoming part of the circular economy surrounding outdoor gear and apparel. Save money, save resources, enjoy nature.
