Singapore's Carousell's 2nd-hand trade cuts 116,577 tonnes CO2 in 2022

15 Dec '23

2 min read

Pic: Adobe Stock

Insights

Carousell's Circular Economy Impact report reveals its users avoided 116,577 tonnes of CO2 emissions in 2022, equivalent to 76 per cent of Singapore's annual tree CO2 absorption.
About 56 per cent of Carousell purchases replaced new items, with a 55 per cent rise in second-hand buying and selling.
These initiatives are steering the future of re-commerce.

Carousell Group’s user community effectively avoided 116,577 tonnes of carbon emissions in 2022, according to the company’s inaugural Circular Economy Impact report. The leading group in the multi-category platform for second-hand items in Greater Southeast Asia, in its report, highlights the significant environmental advantages of buying and selling second-hand goods over traditional retail practices.

This impressive figure spans four goods categories, including fashion and luxury. Remarkably, this is equivalent to about 76 per cent of the total CO2 absorption by Singapore's trees annually.

Key findings indicate that almost 56 per cent of purchases on the Carousell marketplace replaced the need for buying new items. Furthermore, there was a noticeable increase in the buying and selling of second-hand items in 2022 compared to 2021, with 55 per cent of users in Carousell's six key markets reporting this trend, the company said in a press release.

To accurately quantify its impact, Carousell partnered with Vaayu, a European climate tech company. Vaayu employed its advanced AI and machine learning technology along with a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) database containing over 600,000 product data points. This collaboration marks the initial phase of Carousell Group’s journey to measure its environmental impact, currently focusing on the four goods categories of Carousell, Laku6, and Refash. The company aims to expand this scope to include all categories and integrate other group brands like Mudah.my, Cho Tot, and OneShift in the future.

The report also highlights the impact of individual transactions in fostering a circular economy. For example, purchasing a second-hand sofa on Carousell can save up to 131 kg of Co2e, akin to the annual CO2 absorption of nearly six trees.

In alignment with its vision to propel the future of second-hand through re-commerce, Carousell Group has introduced various re-commerce programmes and features across its platforms this year.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DP)

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