Gifting in the Circular Economy
We have been remanufacturing, reallocating and reselling office furniture for over 25 years, and we are thrilled to see that this practice of extending the useful life of assets now even has a name: it is called the “circular economy.”
We thought it would be fun to share some resources that actually bring the circular economy to holiday gifting.
First, what actually is the circular economy?
Europa.eu defines the circular economy as “a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible.”
That’s pretty clear, but where might we actually shop for the 2023 holidays, or for that matter through the year, and do our part in the circular economy towards more sustainable consumption?
This is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are a few of our favorites:
Patagonia’s Worn Wear program: Patagonia’s founder Yvon Chouinard has been a tireless proponent of ethical, responsible fashion and retail and preserving the planet and the natural environment. On the company’s website they report that “Since 1985, Patagonia has pledged 1% of sales to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment. We've awarded over $140 million in cash and in-kind donations to domestic and international grassroots environmental groups making a difference in their local communities.” They pride themselves in rugged outdoor apparel, built to last a lifetime, and now they are going even further.
Through their Worn Wear program you can recycle and buy used and refurbished Patagonia clothing, spending less than on new, and doing something good for the planet in the bargain.
https://wornwear.patagonia.com/
Eileen Fisher’s Renew: This iconic womens’ fashion brand has renamed their take back and resale program: Renew. Loved by loyal customers, now hundreds of used and vintage items in their classic styles can be purchased on their site and as they say: “Loved again!”
https://www.eileenfisherrenew.com/
Suay Sew Shop in Los Angeles: GORGEOUS re-manufactured home goods and hipster apparel from a true remanufacturer whose goal is textile recovery and re-use. They take all manner of textiles, deconstruct them, re-dye and reconstruct the material into everything from clothing to quilts to pillows and oven mitts. For those who can’t shop their store in east LA they have an e-commerce site. One of our colleagues has her eye on one of their quilted coats in case you are chatting to Santa!
Backmarket: If ever there was a category with built in obsolescence, it is electronics. These folks are reversing that trend, as a marketplace for refurbishers of everything from smart phones and Apple watches to tablets, laptops and game consoles. They offer trade in, student and military discounts as well as warranties, returns and free standard shipping.
https://www.backmarket.com/en-us/about-us
Mud Jeans: This company is EU based and has a super interesting business model. You basically LEASE your denim jeans and when they get worn out, you can send them for repair or swap them for an “new” pair. Maybe not for you for this holiday gifting season, but watch for othersmodels that will mimic this creative formula.
https://mudjeans.eu/pages/lease-a-jeans-2023
Vintage and pre-owned sites like eBay, ThredUp and Postmark: Purchasing from sites like these that feature consignment, all come with their own caveats (no returns, variable shipping costs and unreliable lead times). But you can find things that are new (some still with the original price tags) at lower prices than new. For those with the patience to shop for that exact thing on someone’s wish list, and qualify the vendors, they are a source.
thredUP https://www.thredup.com/
Poshmark https://poshmark.com/
Thrift Books: We love this resource because they provide outlets for independent bookstores and resellers, and a network of new and used book dealers whose audiences of customers might be more limited without them. With clear caveats on the condition of used books, if you are looking to “gift” a book that might even be out of print, their e-commerce site is terrific.
Offer-up: Who has ever said “Make me an offer!” for something you that you want someone to take off your hands? These folks create the marketplace for everything from cars to shoes to snowboards to bicycles and dollhouses and everything in between. If your special someone’s gift list includes an item that might be “good as new” but previously owned, chances are you can find it here.
At TFX, our commitment to sustainability is focused on providing remanufactured office furniture to tenants in commercial office real estate. The ethos of sustainability exemplified the “circular economy” underpins everything we do. So, we hope you found this guide to the circular economy for gifting fun and informative, and look forward to working with you on your office furniture needs in the new year.
By the way? Want to be gifting a remanufactured Aeron Chair for someone’s home office? We just might be able to help you!
Happy holidays from all of us at TFX!