The Best Way To Shop Is…
Shopping. It’s become engrained in our culture. Need to kill some time? Head to the shops. Had a rough week? I’ll just go and see what’s new in [insert your favourite shop here]. Had a great week? Let’s celebrate with a wander round the shops - treat yourself! Now I’m not knocking or judging any of this. I love a wander as much as the next person, and there are always exceptions that aren’t easily (or hygienically!) found secondhand. It’s so valid to want to have a nice lifestyle and enjoy the things you have.
But let me pose something to you - you can have a nice lifestyle and enjoy the things you have for a fraction of the price, and in a way that doesn’t cost the earth too.
Secondhand used to be seen as an option if you were short on cash, but over the last couple of decades this narrative has changed. Secondhand has widely been renamed ‘Pre-Loved’, and it’s kind of cool to be sustainably minded.
One person’s trash is another person’s treasure.
Yes, a cliché used time and time again, but it’s also true. We live in a throw-away society. One that prioritised the next thing, the better thing, the newer thing, rather than being content with the ‘it still works well even if it’s a bit older’ thing.
So what can pre-loved look like? I was sent an entire album of photos from a friend of all the things in their house bought at Stirling Reuse Hub and Reclaimers. Each item is fully serving the purpose it was created for, or being used in a creative way to showcase their character.
Shopping pre-loved really can make a difference. 80% of Scotland’s carbon footprint comes directly from the way we consume things (Zero Waste Scotland) - that’s the things we buy and use - from clothes to furniture; electricals to food; and everything in between. By reusing things that already exist, we can work together to create a better and more sustainable future for all, and create beautiful spaces at the same time.