A woman and her cat sort through her closet to decide which items she will keep and which she will give away/sell second-hand on Second Life.
Field—Notes

ecologyst Second Life

In order to progress the fashion industry to meet science-based targets and avoid a 1.5 degree global warming increase, we must start implementing strategies now to support these goals. According to McKinsey, by 2030, we need to live in a world in which "1 in 5 garments are traded through circular business models." 

Zero Waste Scotland defines circular economy business models as "keeping products and materials in use, by design, for as long as possible to get the maximum value from them." Whether it's through rental, repair, refurbishment, or resale, as long as the product or material's value is retained, it can remain in circulation.

This is why we’ve launched Second Life, a resale platform where folks can buy and sell pre-loved ecologyst clothing to give others a chance to love them and keep them in circularity longer. 

There are a number of alarming statistics that have emerged from the climate crisis discussion and the fashion industry’s role in it. The proof is in the pudding! For example, less than 1% of clothing is repaired or recycled into new garments. Meanwhile, the fashion industry is estimated to comprise up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The fashion industry also contributes to many other environmental issues, such as water and ecosystem pollution from dyeing and textile production, microplastic shedding from laundering and wear, and pesticide and herbicide pollution due to the agricultural production of conventional cotton. One of the main areas we’ve been focusing on to significantly reduce these environmental impacts is to keep products in their useful lifespan for longer.

We’re committed to moving away from a linear model and avoiding waste where we can.

A woman holds an old ecologyst t-shirt up to her as she decides whether she wants to sell it second-hand on ecologyst Second Life.

Second Life and our Repairs for Life program are examples of how we are choosing to provide solutions that empower our community to uphold their own sustainability goals. All part of our commitment to end fast fashion and foster a shift to ending the perception of clothing as disposable. Participating in these programs replaces the need to manufacture a new item, reducing its carbon footprint by an average of 80%.

Choosing to buy second-hand helps to mitigate the unnecessary overconsumption and overproduction of new garments. The platform also helps to make some of the ecologyst products people have had their eye on more accessible by offering varying price points.

The products on our Second Life platform become available for a few different reasons. There might be a small error in the manufacturing process (a small hole or loose thread), a slightly imperfect item, a design sample, or a returned product that can’t be resold in-store. These items are sold along with consumer-to-consumer pre-loved ecologyst products to ensure we avoid perfectly usable products ending up in the landfill.

How It Works

Login

Login to your existing Ecologyst account or create a new one to begin.

Find your item

Choose the item from your order history or create a resale request from scratch.

List your item

Upload current images, set the price and provide a brief product description.

Ship your item

Use the prepaid shipping label and ship your item within 3 days.

Once your item is sold, you’ll receive an ecologyst gift card equaling the same amount (minus $10 for shipping fees). It’s seriously that easy.

So, whether you’ve had an item sitting in your closet for a while that you don’t wear, or you’re looking to access some of our made-to-last gear at a lower price, we got you. We’d love for you to be a part of our 1 in 5 commitment by keeping ecologyst products in circulation longer, and breathing new life into usable, built-to-last clothing.

Explore ecologyst Second Life here.

Photos by Emma Rossum

 

The ecologyst Sitka tree logo.