Online marketplaces have become a platform in sustainability with the resale industry proving to be an eco-friendly way to shop. Warrp, an online marketplace, is encouraging Australians to buy pre-owned goods so as to curb the consumer goods industry’s environmental footprint.
According to the 2020 Second Hand Economy Report, almost half of all Australians are more concerned about the impact ‘buying new’ has on the planet, up from 39% in 2019.
Why are second hands a preference environmentally?
Australians are a highly disposable society. Single-use products dominate the consumer goods market. Buying second-hand is becoming part of the solution to sustainable consumerism.
Warrp Co-Founder and CEO, Matthew Ng, said using online marketplaces to buy pre-owned items helped to reduce demand on consumer goods manufacturing and the size of the environmental footprint that came with it.
“The resale market has incredible benefits for everyday Australians both financially and environmentally with bargain buys that don’t cost the earth. The environmental impact of producing goods is enormous,” said Mr Ng.
“It requires approximately 12,075 litres of water to produce just one smartphone, from the extraction of raw materials to when it’s packaged and ready to be sold.”
“Consumer goods traditionally have a linear lifecycle, from manufacture to disposal, but Warrp creates a circular lifecycle that means items are resold and re-loved, reducing waste, pollution and the burden on natural resources.”
How is Warrp facilitating pre-owned goods’ sales?
The Warrp marketplace is a one-stop-shop for thousands of pre-owned items that will make their way into the hands of Australians instead of wasting away in landfill.
Electronics make up a sizable portion of resale-friendly goods, from televisions and laptops to headphones and smart devices yet Australians produce more than 465,000 tonnes of e-waste domestically according to the latest ABS figures.
Fast fashion is another trending topic of environmental concern with 800,000 tonnes of clothing and textiles sent to landfill every year in Australia, with polyester clothing taking upwards of 200 years to break down.
Warrp Co-Founder and CTO, Roman Granovskyi, said it was not just the products themselves, but the packaging that also contributed to waste production.
“Buying second-hand goods lessens the environmental impact that packaging generates, which end up in landfill affecting wildlife, ecosystems and natural habitats. We need more people to adopt the mindset that they can save money and the environment,” said Mr Granovskyi.
Warrp is dedicated to the resale economy in an effort to reduce consumer waste and pollution, and build a more sustainable approach to consumerism.
