Secondhand Shopping: How to Make Sustainable Living Enjoyable
- Lindsay Sander
- Jan 16
- 2 min read
I often think of the impressive set of meanings associated with the word “sustainable.” The one that motivates me to write this very post and similarly encourages you to read it is being environmentally sound. But if we remove the environmental lens, we find a word that, at its core, embodies longevity. As you might have gotten to know, one of my driving goals is to consider the impact I leave in every space I spend time in.
So, what does it mean to influence a world full of people you will never meet? Now, I recognize that people have been trying to answer this very question for centuries, but is there a chance we are overthinking it?
Take thrifting, for instance. As I sift through Y2K tankinis with patterns that feel alive and bellbottom jeans with more buttons than I could even count, I’m really scavenging for something to add to the cycle, to put into rotation. Something that will live far beyond my time. But as I thrift, I’m not thinking about how the argyle cardigan will look on a girl in 50 years, but instead about how it will look on me, next Tuesday.
I think what I’m really trying to say is that sustainable actions don’t need to be so mulled over. In fact, there are simple, eco-friendly alternatives to almost all of our cherished hobbies.
This past summer, in the nature of my sustainable schedule, I challenged myself to only buy clothing items that were thrifted. I got creative with it, organizing a family-wide vintage shopping tour through the streets of Kyoto, Japan, and curating a “thrift bundle” for my friend’s birthday, paired with a hand-crafted lookbook.
Of course, what’s enjoyable for me isn’t enjoyable for everyone. So, if thrifting doesn’t appeal to you, challenge yourself to write down your favorite things to do and their accompanying environmentally-friendly alternative. Be imaginative and let yourself have fun with it!



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