The Benefits of Charity Shops: Sustainability

In the UK, we buy more clothes per person than any other country in Europe. In fact, the carbon footprint of new clothes bought in the UK each month is greater than flying a plane around the world 900 times.

But increasingly people are considering the environmental impact of their shopping and have started to look to charity shops as a source of their fashion fix.

With seven charity shops and plans to open a shop on every high street in the region, Yorkshire Cancer Research is helping people in Yorkshire to reuse and recycle.

In 2022, the Yorkshire Cancer Research shops found new homes for 150,000 items which may otherwise have gone to landfill.

Two people who have recently discovered the joys of shopping pre-loved are Edward and Jan, who both volunteer at the charity’s donation centre.

Edward, who started volunteering after finishing university and was looking to build workplace skills, said: “You can buy so many great things second-hand, and it’s becoming more popular. I didn’t buy second-hand clothes before volunteering for Yorkshire Cancer Research, but since then I’ve been amazed by the quality of what you can get.

Jan added: “I’d never set foot in charity shops before I came here, but now I see the donations that come through and some of the stuff is practically brand new and it’s just brilliant.

“I’ve bought a few things because I have a new grandchild and I see things that he might need that are available second-hand. There’s something for everybody.”

Edward and Jan are not alone in their new-found love of second-hand items. The popularity of shopping for pre-loved items has skyrocketed in recent years. In the 20 years before 2020, charity shop sales had increased four-fold from £133m to £732m.

Melissa Thompson, who manages the charity’s Northallerton shop, said: “As people have become more conscious of their impact on the environment, the importance and popularity of charity shops have surged.

“Buying pre-loved not only saves people money, but it also prevents perfectly usable items from sitting in landfill and helps combat the negative effects of fast fashion and consumerism, all whilst supporting the charity.

“Charity shops advocate for a reusable society by re-homing items that would otherwise be thrown out. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

It’s not just clothes that can be found in the charity’s shops. Each store is a treasure trove of used books, toys, games, and household items.

The charity’s shop in Ripon has space to sell small furniture and household items. For Maria Horsman, who manages the shop, this has created a great opportunity to encourage customers to give these items a new lease of life.

“It’s about encouraging customers to see the potential in the furniture that we’ve got on offer,” Maria explained. “I’ll often put a sign on furniture saying, ‘can you upcycle me?’ to try and prompt people to imagine how a piece could fit into their home.

“We get so many fantastic donations of furniture, and they’re often unique and special pieces that otherwise would have gone to landfill. It’s fantastic that we’re able to help people give them a second life.”

As well as helping people in Yorkshire to reuse and recycle their unwanted items, Yorkshire Cancer Research’s charity shops play a vital role in funding world-leading research in the region.