Savi – Op Shop Finder

Fast fashion is fuelling a global waste crisis — but second-hand shopping is quietly rewriting the story.

From overflowing wardrobes to landfill-bound clothing, the way we consume fashion has reached a tipping point. But there’s good news: op shopping, thrifting, and resale are no longer niche — they’re becoming one of the most powerful tools we have to reduce textile waste, cut emissions, and fund vital community programs.

Let’s break down the problem, the solution, and why second-hand fashion is having a bigger impact than most people realise.ietly rewriting the story.

The Problem

We own more clothes than ever — and wear less of them

• The average person wears only 40% of the clothes they own
• The rest sit unused, forgotten, or barely worn

Australia’s Fashion Consumption Problem

• Australians buy an average of 56 new clothing items per person, per year
• Australia has now surpassed the US as the world’s biggest consumer of textiles per capita
• More than 200,000 tonnes of clothing ending up in landfill every year—the equivalent weight of nearly four Sydney Harbour Bridges

Global Environmental Impact

• Clothing and footwear production account for around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions—more than all international flights and shipping combined
• The fasion industry generates 92 million tonnes of textile waste every year—that’s one truckload per second

These numbers aren’t just eye-opening — they explain why landfill, charity sorting centres, and op shops are under growing pressure.

The Hidden Human Cost of Fast Fashion

While we see low prices and fast trends, millions of garment workers bear the real cost.

• 60–80% of garment workers worldwide are women, many working in unsafe conditions
• In major manufacturing countries, wages often cover only a fraction of basic living costs, forcing workers to take on excessive overtime just to survive
• In some regions, workers earn as little as $2–$3 per day

Fast fashion’s relentless demand for ever-cheaper, ever-faster production places the greatest pressure on these workers.

The Solution

Resale is Growing — Fast

• Resale is growing 15× faster than the broader retail clothing sector
• The global secondhand apparel market is expected to reach $367 billion by 2029

Consumers are Actively Choosing Second-Hand

• On average, shoppers spend nearly half of their clothing budget on second-hand
• 2 in 5 clothing items bought globally in the past year were second-hand
• Resale is growing 15x faster than the broader retail clothing sector

Keeping Clothing out of Landfill

• In Australia alone, op shops divert over 1 million tonnes of textiles from landfill every year
• This saves approximately 880,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually

Funding Communities, Not the Fast Fashion Machine

• Profits from Australian op shops fund around $961 million worth of social programs and services each year
• These include homelessness support, disaster relief, and mental health services

The Future of Second-Hand

According to ThredUp’s 2025 Resale Report:

• 59% of younger generations say AI-powered search and discovery makes shopping second-hand as easy as buying new
• 41% won’t buy new clothing unless it has good resale value
• 68% of sellers say online resale makes it easier to get rid of clothing responsibly

Second-hand is no longer about compromise — it’s about smarter consumption.

Where Savi Comes In

With the second-hand economy booming, the challenge isn’t whether to shop op — it’s where to start.

🩷Savi helps you:

• discover op shops, tip shops and secondhand spots near you
• easily locate second-hand hotspots on a map
• shop more intentionally (and sustainably)

Because the best way to reduce fashion waste… is to wear what already exists.

Sources

1. ThredUp, 2025 Resale Report – Executive Summary ThredUp_Resale_Report_2025.pdf
2. ThredUp, 2024 Resale Report
3. The Australia Institute – Textiles Waste in Australia (P1552)
4. Cleanup Australia – Fast Fashion & Waste
5. Australian Fashion Council – Seamless Clothing Stewardship Scheme
6. Charitable Recycling Australia – Recycled Clothing Impact Assessment
7. McKinsey & Company — Fashion’s New Must-Have: Sustainable Sourcing at Scale
8. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) — Putting the Brakes on Fast Fashion
9. McKinsey & Company — The State of Fashion reports
10. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) — UN Helps Fashion Industry Shift to Low-Carbon
11. https://unfccc.int/news/un-helps-fashion-industry-shift-to-low-carbon