10 ways thrift shopping is the best way to shop sustainably

Thrifting is one of, if not the most popular way to shop sustainably. Especially in the last few years, thrifting is a fun past time for anyone, not just those looking to be more ethical in their purchases. If you do want to be more sustainable, it can be hard to figure out what kind of shopping is the best for you with the amount of sustainable options out there. If you’ve been wondering what the most sustainable/ethical way to shop is, I’ve compiled a list of reasons why you should put thrift shopping at the top of your list.

1. They’re extremely accessible 

It’s almost impossible to not be able to find a thrift store. Most towns have at least one, usually multiple for you to choose from. There’s charity stores, retail based stores, bigger organizations (but you might want to steer clear of those because of unethical practices in their headquarters). 

2. You’re supporting a small business/charity

Depending on the thrift store you go to, you’re contributing to the success of small businesses or charities. Charity stores take the time to give back to their community by recycling the life of clothing, or donates them to other communities in need. Small businesses took a major hit in these last few years, so supporting them helps them in a major way. It’s an awesome feeling to contribute to the success of these thrift shops while buying cute clothes.

3. It’s the cheapest way to shop sustainably

There is no competing with thrift stores in terms of price. Most thrift stores don’t look at brands when pricing items, which means you can find quality brands for cheap (I once found a Free People blouse for only $3). 

4. Thrift stores have constant sales

Despite the fact that thrift stores are already extremely cheap, many stores have sales almost everyday. Lots of stores will change up which color tags are on sale pretty often, sometimes every week or even every day. Thrift stores want to push their clothing out as fast as possible to make up for the amount of donations they receive, plus trying to keep clothes out of landfills. 

5. You’re preventing clothes from going to landfills or burn piles

Thrift stores often send their unsold clothing to organizations that recycle the material or provide clothing to communities in need. However, when these organizations receive too many donations, they often send the clothing to landfills or create massive burn piles to get rid of the clothes (which releases massive amounts of greenhouse gases). Buying thrifted items prevents them from causing more harm to the environment, which is always a plus.

6. You get to search for the best finds

There’s something truly gratifying about searching through racks of clothing and finding some amazing pieces in both clothing and jewelry. Some thrift stores have bins of clothing and allow you to search through them, only charging by the pound instead of individually. It’s so much fun to take a few hours to search through these to find unique, one of a kind items. You can often find amazing vintage jewelry in thrift stores, which reduces concerns about fair trade gold or ethical production methods.

7. Rise in popularity means you can find trendy clothes

It’s no secret that thrift shopping has dramatically increased in popularity. When I was young, thrift shopping was something the poor kids did because our parents couldn’t afford nice clothes, which made others look down on us. Now, it’s encouraged and trendy to spend days thrift shopping. This, combined with the constant shifting of trend cycles, makes it possible to find clothes that are currently trendy in thrift stores. You can find clothes from Shein, H&M, American Eagle, etc. in thrift stores now instead of the totally outdated clothes we used to find.

8. You can find genuine vintage pieces

Often, thrift stores (especially charity stores) will have pieces that are deadstock or genuine vintage. You can find vintage stores that specifically seek out vintage items, but these are typically more expensive than a regular thrift store. 

9. Upscale thrift stores provide high quality clothing

If you have a little extra money and want to buy thrifted clothing that you know is high quality/good brands, there’s plenty of upscale thrift stores for you to choose from. Stores like Wasteland in LA carry donated higher end/luxury clothing. If you’re a luxury lover and don’t want to buy from their stores, upscale thrift stores are an amazing alternative.

10. The clothes are always ethical sourced

There’s no question about where your clothes come from at thrift stores. You don’t have to worry about the production of the clothing, working conditions, or where they got their materials from because it’s all donated. It takes away the stress factor of where the clothing was sourced from, making you feel more comfortable with your purchases.

With cheap prices, unique pieces, and a little bit of digging, thrifting is definitely the best way to shop sustainably.