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Second-Hand Effect

The climate impact and benefits of second-hand transactions across our recommerce businesses.

This is the Second-Hand Effect

The retail industry is collectively responsible for 25% of global emissions. As such, circular business models are crucial in mitigating the industry’s impact and helping to avoid emissions, but until recently, accurate data to quantify their effects at scale was missing.

This report is a collaborative effort between carbon-calculation software maker Vaayu and Schibsted Marketplaces’ recommerce marketplaces.

Our report found that around half of second-hand purchases made in the Nordics replace new ones. This replacement rate – which measures and assesses how effectively second-hand fashion items can substitute new ones – was relatively uniform in all our markets:

Denmark at 55%, Norway at 54%, Sweden at 50% and Finland at 47%. This means that 54% of second-hand items purchased from second-hand platforms in Norway replace the purchase of a similar new item.

Key findings

In 2023 FINN reports Total Net Avoided Emissions at approximately 163,000 tCO2e. Click to read more.

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In 2023 Tori reports Total Net Avoided Emissions at approximately 83,000 tCO2e. Click to read more.

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In 2023 DBA reports Total Net Avoided Emissions at approximately 58,000 tCO2e. Click to read more.

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In 2023 Blocket reports Total Net Avoided Emissions at approximately 43,000 tCO2e. Click to read more.

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By the numbers

Findings showed that, collectively, Schibsted Marketplaces avoided 349,726 tonnes CO2e, equivalent to:

  • 1,883,425 car journeys from Oslo to Stockholm and back

  • Producing 2,388,937 new bicycles

“We want to empower our users to reduce their consumption of new products by making it easier to choose second-hand products than new ones.”

Christian Printzell Halvorsen, CEO, Schibsted Marketplaces‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​​‌​​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍‌​‌​​‌‍​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‌‌​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‍‌‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‍​‌‌‌‍​‍‌‍‌‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‍​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌​​‌‍‍‌​‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍‌‌​‍‌‍​‌​‌‌‍​​​‍‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍​‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌​​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‍​‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌​​‌‍‌‍​‌‍​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‌​‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‍​‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌​‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌‌‍​​‍‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‌‍​‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‍​​‍​‍​‍‍‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‌​‍‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍‌‍‌‍​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‌​‍​‍​‍‍‌‍​‍​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌​‌​‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‍‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‌​‌​‍‌‍​‌‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌​‌​​‌‍​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‌​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍‌‌​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‍‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌​​‍​‍‌‌‌‌

Making the sustainable alternative the obvious choice

These findings offer a foundational understanding and clear benchmarks for Schibsted Marketplaces’ ongoing efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and support sustainable consumer choices.

This report demonstrates how second-hand commerce can help avoid carbon emissions and is advancing a more sustainable retail industry.