Second Hand September

Shopping second-hand goes far beyond just clothes; furniture, technology, sports equipment, toys and games to name but a few. Read more about the benefits.

Buying second-hand items can often be much cheaper than buying new and you can often find amazing one-off deals.

Every time new items are made, raw materials are used; extracting (mining, quarrying and logging) raw materials creates substantial air and water pollution. We can help reduced this by re-using items where possible rather than buying new.

You can also donate items you no longer want.

Donating items for reuse can help your local community, especially those in need, to buy items at an affordable price. By donating items for re-use you can give items away that you no longer want and know they will be appreciated by someone.

Donating items for reuse helps save energy. A lot of energy goes into the production of new items so by re-using unwanted items first we can help reduce the need to produce new ones.

In Buckinghamshire there are plenty of options for shopping second-hand:

• charity shops
• shops like CeX for electricals and gaming items
• household recycling centres (all ten household recycling centres will accept items for donation)
• you can also shop online at:
  • Vinted
  • eBay
  • Facebook Marketplace
  • Gumtree
  • Freegle
  • LoveJunk

The Bucks Zero Waste Map has more than 70 listings for zero waste businesses and projects in the area. As well as over 60 repair, upcycling and craft locations.

Can you challenge yourself to just shop second-hand for September.... or longer?

If you need any more inspiration, look no further than: 

• the Oxfam campaign page
• Jen Gale - who runs a very successful Instagram page called Sustainable(ish) - challenged herself and family to buy nothing new for a year and hasn’t looked back since
• Laura is an award winning environmental scientist and influencer (otherwise known as Less Waste Laura)
• Hubbub is an award-winning environmental charity that’s all about inspiring action that’s good for the environment and for everyone