Geartrade, the online marketplace for used outdoor gear and apparel, announced annual recommerce gear retention statistics, including the resale/reuse of 45,590 outdoor products in 2021 and the resale/reuse of nearly 17,000 outdoor products in the first quarter of 2022.

“At Geartrade, we’ve always considered the outdoor industry’s climate impact as our most important challenge to face,” said Aaron Provine, president, Geartrade. “When you look at the amount of gear we have kept in circulation, we’re proud and daunted by the numbers. Over 45,000 units in a single year is incredible and proves how far we have to go as the collective outdoor industry.”

Of the 45,590 pieces of used gear recirculated by Geartrade in the previous year, 21,201 was apparel.

According to Geartrade and ClimateScience.org, creating 1 kilogram of fabric releases 20-to-23 kilograms of greenhouse gasses. If the average weight of one piece of apparel is 250g, the weight of a lightweight shell, Geartrade has reduced the carbon footprint by 106,005 kilograms of greenhouse gasses required to create 21,201 new pieces of apparel based on its weight assumption, or equivalent to the amount of carbon sequestered by 1,753 tree seedlings grown for ten years, that also according to the EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.

“Throughout 2021, we saw the outdoor industry trends reflected in the demands for used gear. Apparel was by far the most sought after item, with bike, ski and climbing gear filling out the second, third and fourth spots,” said Provine, adding that he expects these trends to continue through the end of 2022, with consumers looking for more ways to reduce their carbon footprint through their shopping habits.

Geartrade recently launched a loyalty program to increase and refine consignment. Geartrade forecasts 2022 resale/reuse volume to continue to push to its goal of creating a more sustainable outdoor economy. “We’re doing everything to make Geartrade an easy place to buy and sell gear and reduce our collective carbon footprint,” continued Provine.

Photo courtesy Geartrade