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Posted: 2024-06-17 06:58:58

Households across New South Wales saved themselves $432 million last year by shopping second-hand, as they felt the crunch of the cost of living crisis.

The study also found the dollar-busting strategy banked huge environmental benefits, diverting 49,000 tonnes of waste from landfill, saving 51 thousand megalitres of water and 321 thousand tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent to taking 134 thousand cars off the road.

The report, Measuring Reuse Activity and Impacts in NSW, is the first of its kind and provides an in-depth look into the environmental, economic and social benefits of second-hand shopping.

It was developed by not-for-profit Charitable Reuse Australia in partnership with the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA).

As she stands inside the treasure trove of salvaged industrial off-casts for sale at Reverse Garbage in Marrickville to launch the report, it's clear that the social enterprise's CEO Kirsten Junor is a lover of everything second hand. 

She's wearing a jacket she found at a Salvo's store and was handpainted by a local artist.

An older woman with grey hair and thick glasses and a colourful outfit looks at the camera inside a recycled warehouse

Reverse Garbage CEO Kirsten Junor says the report reflects the "huge environmental, social and economic impact" of second-hand shopping and recycling.(ABC News: Sarah Gerathy)

"By shopping second-hand and reusing things you really can create your own style and you find things that you love and you cherish and then those stories are passed on," she said.

"But this report shows that reuse works, it has a huge environmental, social and economic impact – we see it here every day."

Appeal of sustainability

The CEO of Charitable Reuse Australia Omer Soker said people were increasingly turning to second-hand as bills and other costs put more pressure on household budgets.

Two men and an older woman ineract with one another at a warehouse filled with recycled goods

Omer Soker (middle), the CEO of Charitable Reuse Australia, says the cost-of-living crisis is leading more people to seek second-hand goods.(ABC News: Sarah Gerathy)

"That's the role of charity shops and reuse organisations, to help people during those tough times. This is just another one of those times," he said.

"There are three thousand op shops and reuse shops across Australia, there is 200 million items for sale each year – average price is about five bucks."

But he also said second-hand shoppers weren't just buying second-hand to save money.

More recently it's also been driven by the new generation of consumers, wanting, demanding sustainability in terms of their choices," Mr Soker said.

"Second-hand is becoming cool, not quite as cool as it is the UK, but that's what's driving it."

'Perfectly fine to keep reusing'

Kerrie Felton has been second-hand shopping since she was 12 years old and was out hunting bargains at the Salvo's store in Tempe with her two young sons in tow on Monday morning.

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