The most sustainable stuff is the stuff that already exists…

At Loot, we understand that putting robust strategies in place to build a sustainable future is one of the major challenges of our age. Climate change has made the unfettered consumption of new products untenable, particularly given the threats posed by things like single-use plastics and the fast fashion industry.

But fear not! With Loot, you can buy and sell everything your heart desires, safe in the knowledge that you’ll be helping the planet – one renewable purchase at a time. By upcycling your pre-owned possessions, you’ll not only be helping the planet, but you’ll have the added benefit of making a few quid in the process.
 

SUSTAINABILITY

At Loot, we understand that the world is in the midst of a climate emergency, and sustainability needs to be at the core of everything we do. We have developed a robust corporate value system which respects both your rights as a consumer, but also the challenges faced by the planet in the face of extreme weather, damage to the Ozone Layer, pollution in our oceans and the annihilation of our rainforests.

By centring our business around the sale of pre-loved goods, our aim is to encourage the recommerce of everything from vehicles to electronics, household goods to mobile phones, fashion to beauty products, as well as pets, property, books, jobs, and much more.

Ultimately, we want to do our bit to facilitate a unilateral global transition to green and low-carbon economies, by helping to eradicate the scourge of Fast Fashion, single-use plastics and greenhouse gases associated with product manufacturing. The business we’re interested in is the business of circular economy.
 

What is Fast Fashion?

Essentially, ‘Fast Fashion’ is a catch-all term used to describe the design, manufacture and marketing associated with cheaply-produced, low-quality items of clothing produced in vast quantities.

Businesses within the Fast Fashion industry tend to maximise profit by replicating trends, using cheap materials, underpaying workers and exporting in bulk to fulfil consumer demand. According to Fast Company: “53 million tons of clothes [are produced around] the world annually. If the industry keeps up its exponential pace of growth, it is expected to reach 160 million tons by 2050.”

To give you an idea of the scale of the problem, nearly 11 million tons of clothing is sent to garbage dumps in the U.S. alone every year, which poses problems for biodegradability as well as toxic chemicals, dyes and other waste material seeping into the water supply and killing nutrients in our soil.
 

What do we Mean by ‘Circular Economy’?

Thankfully, consumers are becoming more conscientious and as awareness grows, we are collectively starting to make more sustainable choices. The circular economy – that is, the buying and selling of goods which has already had a previous life – is worth around £20 billion; a figure which is predicted to rise to nearly £50 billion by 2023. 

Ethical consumption and upcycling have already trebled in the period between 2003 and 2019, with an ever-growing shift in consumer consciousness as we demand more sustainability from public representatives.