The report

Care for our environment is a growing and significant driving force for buying and selling second-hand. This report shows that the Second Hand Effect actually reduces our negative environmental footprint. In 2018, Schibsted and Adevinta users from 10 sites saved 20.5 million tonnes greenhouse gases and 1.1 million tonnes plastic. This huge amount of greenhouse gas and plastic is equivalent to 24 million return flights from Paris to New York, the production of 162 billion plastic bags, or no traffic in Oslo for 41 years.

The report The report

There are many reasons why people sell and buy products on second-hand shopping sites. One obvious reason is to make a good deal. Another is that people also see it as a practical way to get rid of furniture and other things. There is also a growing trend to shop vintage items and clothes. Last but not least, there is the environmental aspect. A user-survey in Schibsted’s Swedish marketplace, Blocket, indicated that greater awareness of climate change is increasing the incentive to use the site. No matter the motivation, the trade on these sites is an important contribution to responsible consumption and towards reducing our environmental footprint.

An aggregated result – material & greenhouse gas emissions

The results table below shows the aggregated amount of greenhouse gas emissions, steel, plastics and aluminum potentially saved from all ten marketplaces. Since the ad categories vary at the different sites, we have selected some common categories to illustrate the total result. You’ll find more detailed statistics including all categories in the individual reports at each site.

The calculation

To calculate the savings of greenhouse gases and material, we have collaborated with the Swedish Environmental Research Institute, IVL. IVL has used the sales figures from the different marketplaces as well as customer surveys and information about energy consumption from office operations and data centers. The calculation is based on the assumption that each used product that is sold replaces the production of a new equivalent product. IVL has extracted data regarding the material composition of products sold at our marketplaces and recalculated it into the equivalent of tonnes of saved greenhouse gas emissions.

Greenhouse gases and global warming

Greenhouse gas is a result of combusting all kinds of material, including humans and animals breathing. As we use, produce and dispose more and more resources, the levels of greenhouse gas is constantly growing and causing global warming. As a result, we see more environmental disasters, rising sea levels, drought, less drinkable water and smaller harvests.

Over-consumption of natural resources

Globally, we are consuming as if we had the resources equivalent to 1.6 planets. This means we are consuming too much, too fast, which will lead to a lack of natural resources for coming decades. By consuming in a responsible way and considering repairing, reusing, sharing and recycling products, we can slow down the over-consumption of resources and the negative environmental impact such as pollution, land-use and the ineffective use of existing resource. Selling and buying second-hand is one of the most efficient ways of contributing to minimizing the negative environmental impact related to consumption.

Second-hand effect and UN Sustainable Development Goals

Around the world, governments are now investigating how to fulfill the UN Sustainable Development Goals for sustainable development. By increasing the awareness of environmental benefits of second hand-trade and continuing Second Hand Effect, we show our support for the UN Sustainable Development Goals number 12 “Responsible consumption and production” and its target “By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.”

Sport and hobbies257,753
Home and people3,463,373
Business travel-1,182
Power usage-265
Transport connected to sales- 665,682
Total savings20,454,640