Secondhand Shopping Saves $1.2B Annually and 1.8 Million Tons of CO2

⏱️ 6 min read

New data reveals how thrifting cuts costs and emissions across fashion, gifts, and everyday wear

Secondhand Shopping Saves $1.2B Annually and 1.8 Million Tons of CO2

Secondhand shopping in the U.S. reduced clothing waste by 18% in 2024, according to a report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which tracks apparel disposal rates. The same report notes that the average consumer saves $118 per year by purchasing secondhand clothing, with a 2025 study from the University of California, San Diego showing that 63% of holiday shoppers who used secondhand platforms reported spending less than $25 per gift. These savings are not limited to individual consumers—retailers report that resale marketplaces like ThredUp and Poshmark processed over 220 million items in 2024, generating $1.2 billion in annual revenue, a 14% increase from 2023.

“Secondhand gifts generate 27% less emissions than new items, primarily due to reduced manufacturing and packaging.” – Dr. Elena R. Robertson-Barnes, UCSD

Secondhand Clothing Saves $118 Per Consumer Annually

According to a 2025 study by the University of California, San Diego, the average American household spends $412 annually on new clothing. By shifting 30% of purchases to secondhand, that cost drops to $294, a savings of $118. This data was collected from 1,200 households across 14 U.S. metropolitan areas, including New York, Los Angeles, and Austin, and was published in Today’s UCSD as part of a holiday spending analysis. One participant, Maria T., a 32-year-old teacher from Portland, Oregon, purchased a 2023 Aritzia double-breasted wool coat for $68 on Facebook Marketplace. The original retail price was $420. She notes: “I wore it to two holiday parties and didn’t need to buy anything new for winter.” The coat, made from 70% recycled wool and 30% recycled polyester, was cleaned and inspected by a third-party reseller before resale.

“We now test for dyes, fiber content, and chemical residues before listing.” – Lena M. Cho, ThredUp

Secondhand Gifts Reduce Holiday Emissions by 27%

A 2025 report by Scripps News analyzed carbon footprints across 12,000 holiday gift purchases. It found that secondhand gifts generate 27% less emissions than new items, primarily due to reduced manufacturing and packaging. The average new gift item produces 22 kg of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) across its lifecycle, while a secondhand gift averages 16 kg CO2e, according to the study. “Gifts from thrift stores or online resale platforms bypass the energy-intensive processes of new garment production,” says Dr. Elena R. Robertson-Barnes, a sustainability researcher at UCSD, in Scripps News. “A secondhand sweater avoids the water, dyes, and transport used in a new one.” For example, a 2024 Eileen Fisher linen tunic purchased for $15 on Poshmark had a carbon footprint of 8.2 kg CO2e, compared to a new tunic from the same brand, which emitted 14.7 kg CO2e. The used tunic was originally worn once and donated through a community clothing drive in Boston.

“When you buy secondhand, you’re not triggering the agricultural, processing, or dyeing stages. That’s 14,000 liters saved per garment.” – Dr. Amita R. Patel, University of Michigan

Thrift Stores Divert 1.8 Million Tons of Garments from Landfills Annually

The nonprofit organization A Sustainable Closet tracks U.S. secondhand volume and reports that 1.8 million tons of clothing were diverted from landfills in 2024 through thrift stores, consignment shops, and online resale. This accounts for 14% of total U.S. clothing waste, up from 11% in 2023. Martha Stewart posted on Facebook in November 2025: “Thrift stores are the ultimate in sustainability—they are a way to reuse and repurpose someone’s cast-offs and save them from the landfill.” The post, which received over 42,000 shares, linked to a national inventory of 24,000 active thrift locations, including 3,200 operated by nonprofit organizations like Goodwill and Salvation Army. Goodwill’s 2024 annual report confirms that 78% of donated garments were sold, resold, or repurposed internally. The average resale price per item was $11.42, with 89% of proceeds funding job training programs for people with disabilities. In New Jersey, a single Goodwill location processed 147,000 items in Q3 2024, with 62% going to resale, 28% to recycling, and 10% to landfill.

Resale Platforms Offer Verified, Ethical Sourcing

Online resale platforms have implemented traceability systems to reduce greenwashing. In 2025, ThredUp introduced a third-party verification process for all secondhand items sold on its platform. The system includes fabric testing, labor practice audits, and carbon footprint labeling. As of December 2025, 74% of ThredUp’s items have verified sustainability data, up from 41% in 2023. “We now test for dyes, fiber content, and chemical residues before listing,” says Lena M. Cho, Vice President of Sourcing at ThredUp, in a statement released on November 22, 2025. “This ensures no items with harmful dyes or non-recyclable blends enter the marketplace.” Items must meet GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) or B-Corp certification to receive a verified sustainability badge. A 2024 Lulu’s oversized turtleneck, for example, was verified as 100% organic cotton and GOTS-certified. It sold for $48 and was shipped in a compostable mailer. The original price was $180.

Secondhand Shopping Avoids 14,000 Liters of Water Per Garment

According to a 2024 study by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, producing a single cotton t-shirt requires 2,700 liters of water. A secondhand t-shirt, by contrast, avoids that entire water footprint. The study analyzed 3,000 garments from 14 major resale platforms and found that secondhand clothing accounts for 92% less water use than new garments. “Water savings aren’t just about production—they’re about lifecycle,” says Dr. Amita R. Patel, environmental scientist at the University of Michigan, in Pulse-Z. “When you buy secondhand, you’re not triggering the agricultural, processing, or dyeing stages. That’s 14,000 liters saved per garment.” For example, a 2023 Zara organic cotton sweater, originally priced at $108, was resold in December 2025 for $36. The original production used 2,700 liters of water. The resale avoided that usage entirely. The item was tested for dyes and found to contain no harmful azo dyes, per the platform’s lab report.