After a long day at work, you finally settle in for a well-deserved evening off. Relaxing on the sofa, you start scrolling through your social media feed. Before you know it, a new outfit for the coming weekend is in your cart. You get a quick rush of adrenaline, followed by excitement for the weekend ahead. But after wearing it once, you realize: it doesn't fit as well as you thought. And poof - it ends up in your closet, joining the other impulse buys you regret.

Mountains of Waste: The Cost of Fast Fashion

Did you know our clothing consumption has skyrocketed in recent decades? We buy about 400% more clothes today than we did 20 years ago. Switzerland is a prime example: it ranks second in the world (after Luxembourg) for per-capita spending on clothing and shoes, yet only 6% of those products are produced sustainably (1).

Every year, Swiss consumers throw away over 100,000 tonnes of clothing, at least half of which isn't recycled or donated and ends up being incinerated (2). To put that in perspective, that's roughly the weight of:

• 16,600 adult African elephants
• 200,000 average cars
• 12 Eiffel Towers

And that's in Switzerland alone!

It's not just clothes either - electronics, furniture, and everyday items are often tossed long before their time. In 2022, the world generated 62 million tonnes of electronic waste, an 82% increase in just 12 years (3). That represents a massive use of resources we simply can't afford to keep wasting.

Thankfully, there's hope. Switzerland plans to follow the EU's lead in adopting stricter rules to combat this throwaway culture. Soon, manufacturers will be required to provide spare parts for products for several years and design them to be easier to repair. Even smartphones - including iPhones - will need user-replaceable batteries (4). These steps mark a big move toward a more sustainable future.

The Future is Circular: Embracing the Circular Economy

So what's the solution? Enter the circular economy. Instead of the linear "buy, use, toss" cycle, a circular economy keeps products and materials in use for as long as possible. That means using things longer, repairing them, or passing them on rather than always buying new.

By choosing durable materials, clever product designs, and a more mindful approach to how we use resources, we can stop so many perfectly good items from ending up in the trash after a short life.

In a circular economy, waste is minimized because products get reused and recycled rather than discarded. It's about shifting our mindset to value longevity and sustainability over the novelty of always having something new. And one of the easiest ways to practice circular living is to give items a second life.

Good for the Planet, Good for You

Secondhand is at the heart of the circular economy. Every item that finds a new owner is one less item in a landfill and one less newly manufactured product. But it's not only the planet that benefits - you do too:

• Quality at fair prices - Find high-quality products for a fraction of their original price.
• More space, less clutter - Resell or donate what you don't use.
• Smart savings - Secondhand is cheaper and more sustainable.

Giving your clothes a second life through resale or donation keeps them out of landfills and in use longer.

What You Can Do

Ready to embrace a more circular lifestyle? Here are a few steps you can take:

• Give unused items a second chance - Sell or donate things you no longer need.
• Buy secondhand before buying new - Find quality products at lower prices with no extra environmental cost.
• Choose quality over quantity - Well-made products last longer and can be passed on.
• Reflect on your shopping habits - Ask yourself: Do I really need this?
• Avoid impulse buys - Add items to your cart, then wait a few days before purchasing.
• Take care of what you own - Better care = longer use = higher resale value.

Making Sustainable Shopping Easy

Sustainable consumption shouldn't be complicated - and that's where Circlin comes in. We're launching a new secondhand platform that makes it effortless to give your unused items a new life.

With Circlin, you can list your items in seconds - no lengthy descriptions or time-consuming pricing. No more uncertainty about authenticity. No more tedious photo uploads. Just fast, easy, and fun secondhand shopping.

Our beta version is about to launch - be among the first to try it and see how rewarding sustainable shopping can be.

Follow Circlin on social media to get exclusive discounts and free access to premium features. Join us from the beginning, and let's make secondhand the first choice for a better future.

---

• (1),(2) Switzerland among biggest consumers of disposable fashion | rts.ch
• (3) Global e-Waste Monitor 2024 | UNITAR
• (4) Making batteries more sustainable | European Parliament