Thrift and Thrive: Climate Change is Rewriting Shopping Habits
The thrift store renaissance isn’t rooted in retro charm anymore—it’s a response to crisis. As climate warnings grow more urgent and the environmental toll of overconsumption becomes impossible to ignore, shoppers are waking up to the true cost of “new.” What once felt like a quirky lifestyle choice—buying used, mending old clothes, sharing what we own—is now a quiet but powerful form of protest. Led largely by Gen Z and millennials, thrift culture has evolved into a global movement grounded in climate action, not just frugality. Across cities and generations, people are embracing secondhand shopping as a way to reject fast fashion, reduce waste, and reimagine consumption itself. Below, we explore 12 ways this shift is unfolding, and how climate change is turning second hand culture into a force for survival. Fast Fashion’s Reckoning: Why Cheap Clothing Comes at a High Cost Fast fashion’s glittering appeal is fading fast as its environmental toll comes into full view. The fashion i...