Here at the eBay Green Team, you may have heard us say that the “greenest product is the one that already exists” once or twice. Keeping existing, perfectly functioning products in use, rather than in the back of a closet, reduces the demand on our air, water and land to create new ones. Each American throws away about 65 pounds of clothing and textiles per year, according to the EPA. And demand for textiles, like polyester, made from petroleum has almost doubled in the last 15 years. So using clothes that already exist, and selling what you’re no longer using, is a simple yet powerful act that the eBay community has been practicing for years. And as we’ve seen, it can add up to a big difference.
That’s why we’re so excited about the new ally we just gained – Patagonia, the maker of high-quality, durable outdoor apparel and gear. Today, we’re pleased to announce the launch of the Patagonia Common Threads Initiative + eBay store. The new storefront marks the first time eBay and a retail brand have worked together to encourage the buying and selling of their pre-owned clothes and gear by customers.
In this first-of-its-kind eBay storefront, you can take the Common Threads Initiative pledge, find great deals on Patagonia’s legendary durable apparel, or sell Patagonia gear you no longer want or need. To increase visibility, listings in the eBay store from sellers who have taken the pledge are also eligible to be featured in the used clothing section on Patagonia.com. The new storefront is the result of a year of collective thinking and planning between eBay and Patagonia, but we know it won’t be perfect, so we’d love your thoughts and suggestions.
Our hope is that this initiative inspires our community to take a look in their closet and see if they have a Patagonia item that they might sell. After all, selling what you’re not using is recycling at its best– and we make it easy! We also hope it inspires some other retail brands to be as visionary as our friends at Patagonia, who recognize that customers that are buying and selling their pre-owned apparel are still customers. And that crafting a partnership with them through the Common Threads Initiative is not just good for the planet, but also good for their business.
We’d love to hear what you think about the idea, so please share your thoughts with us below in the comment section or feel free to connect via Facebook or Twitter.