4 REASONS FOR THRIFT STORE GIFTS THIS YEAR

Thrifting is hot, and Goodwill finds are cool again. But while we’re thrilled to find the perfect throwback tee for our own closet, gifting used goods still carries a stigma for some.

It shouldn’t.

Secondhand gifts are better for your wallet, your community and the environment.

“The planet is drowning in excess stuff,” says Lauren Bravo, 34, the London-based author of “How to Break Up With Fast Fashion .” “It feels more sustainable to buy from things that are already out there in the world than adding to the demand for more, more, more.”

Not convinced? Here are four big benefits of secondhand gifts, plus a few tips and ideas to help you thrift a gift this holiday season.

THE CASE FOR SECONDHAND GIFTS

1. IT’S BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT: Fast fashion and fast furniture generate an incredible amount of waste. In 2018 alone, nearly 21 million tons of textile waste, furniture and furnishings ended up in landfills, according to the most recent data published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Buying a sweatshirt, jacket, vase, side table or virtually any other thrifted item keeps it from landing in a heap at the dump or on some foreign shore (where much of our donated clothing lands). Most secondhand purchases are made locally, too, so you avoid many of the environmental impacts that go along with packaging and shipping items.

2. SECONDHAND IS MORE BUDGET-FRIENDLY: You may have noticed, but everything is more expensive right now (inflation hit a 40-year high in September). Even with rising prices, buying secondhand is almost always less expensive than buying new.