Ecology and second-hand consumption: the two go hand in hand!

When we think of buying or selling second-hand, it's often to get a bargain or to earn a little extra income. However, giving an object a second life (or even more!) is also an eco-responsible gesture! Here's how it works.

Have you ever wondered what impact your purchases have on the environment? Do you have any idea how much energy it takes to make a smartphone, a pair of jeans or a washing machine? Probably not, and don't worry, that's normal! We don't always think about the consequences of our consumption, even though this is of vital importance in our relationship with it.

While buying organic or responsible food products is becoming the norm, too few of us are looking beyond our plates: what we wear and use on a daily basis is also part of the equation. So, yes, there's no doubt that the direct impact on us of eating organic tomatoes and wearing artificially worn jeans is incommensurable, but you'll know by now: we need to take a critical look at our overall consumption, and not 'sectorise' our good practices.

Making one pair of blue jeans requires 10,000 litres of water, equivalent to the water consumption of an average household for 3 months.

Let's take a few examples that will illustrate the point far better than a thousand explanations:

• Making one pair of blue jeans requires 10,000 litres of water, equivalent to the water consumption of an average household for 3 months.
• The manufacture of a smartphone emits 57kg of CO2, which is as much as 600 km travelled by a small car.
• The manufacture of a refrigerator consumes as much electricity as an average household in a year, i.e. 900 kWh.
• It takes an average of 125 million litres of water to produce one tonne of aluminium (used in the majority of our electronic products, furniture, decorative objects, household appliances, etc.)! That's roughly the equivalent of 1.6 million showers...

Every time you buy something, every time you buy something new, the impact on the environment is direct and indisputable. We'll always need or want new things, so there's nothing to feel guilty about, but it's also worth looking into buying second-hand, not only to make real savings, but also because buying second-hand doesn't necessarily mean buying things that are old, damaged, unusable or of poor quality.

We can all contribute to the preservation of our planet in a transparent and effortless way, while enjoying ourselves at the same time, so give in to the siren song of second-hand goods - you won't regret it!