Why Thrifting is Beneficial for the Environment

In recent years, thrifting has become a popular activity for those of all ages, especially teens. If you’ve ever been to a thrift store, you’ve probably noticed the budget-friendly prices and constant sales most stores have. Not only is thrifting good for your wallet, but it’s just as good for the environment too!

According to Leonela Leon, a student at the University of California Berkeley, “as more and more people have learned about the negative effects of the fashion industry, more have turned to thrifting, which has dramatically increased in popularity over the recent years.”

The old-school, vintage trend that is going around is a potential reason for thrifting’s popularity increase. Many beauty and fashion bloggers on platforms such as Instagram and Youtube post their own thrifting finds, tips on how to efficiently thrift, and how to style or make your own finds unique to you. It has become an affordable, creative outlook for several people.

What most people don’t realize is the positive effect they are making on the environment by deciding to thrift their clothes as opposed to buying them from large clothing companies. Thrifting is good for the environment for a multitude of reasonings:

1. A lesser amount of resources would be wasted if people invested in second-hand clothing because, believe it or not, one cotton tee shirt requires 100 gallons of water to make and one pair of jeans requires 1,800 gallons. 
2. Buying secondhand clothing as opposed to clothing from large companies, which often contains synthetic materials (plastic), reduces the insane amount of clothing that is thrown out into landfills every year.
3. The production of synthetic materials used to make most clothing pieces emits nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that is incredibly harmful to the environment, into the atmosphere. Buying second-hand would work towards preventing this problem.

Here at AHN, both students and teachers are contributing to the thrifting trend. 

Alyssa Sanchez (‘20) says “I love thrifting because I like to find things that others don’t have. Sunshine Thrift Store is a 10/10.” 

English teacher Alison Jussaume says, “I personally like thrifting because I do believe it is good for the environment. It’s good to buy clothing that already exists instead of contributing to the demand of cheaply made clothing, specifically overseas. Thrifting is also a good way to get clothes that are less expensive, still in good condition, and brand name.” 

One popular online thrift store is ThredUp who claims to be the “largest online secondhand shopping destination.” 

Jussaume says “I use ThredUp a lot. I like it because their clothes are always in good condition and some pieces still have tags on them. Another cool thing about ThredUp is that they allow you to send In your old clothes in return for a credit to the store. In general, thrifting can be pretty hit or miss, so ThredUp is an easy way to find exactly what you are looking for.” 

Thrift Stores in the Tampa Bay Area:

• Sunshine Thrift Store: 4304 S Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33611
• Salvation Army Family Store: 2815 S MacDill Ave, Tampa, FL 33629
• Life’s Treasures: 1918 S Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33629
• Simply Spring Thrift Store: 209 N Willow Ave, Tampa, FL 33606
• Metropolitan Ministries Thrift Store: 2101 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33602

Online Thrift Stores:

• ThredUp
• Poshmark
• Depop
• ASOS Marketplace 
• Swap.com