On 25 September, around 200,000 visitors online and on site throughout Switzerland were convinced by secondhand. Used products were sold, passed on, shared, repaired or refurbished. Thanks to the reuse of products, the amount of new goods that have to be produced is reduced and thus also the CO2 footprint in the area of consumption. With this goal and to promote circular trade, Ricardo, Circular Economy Switzerland, myclimate and 20 Minuten introduced the national Secondhand Day a year ago. In 2021, a total of almost 2,000 tonnes of CO2 could be saved. myclimate had already calculated the CO2 savings of various second-hand products compared to new goods in an elaborate study in 2020 (More information: First Secondhand Day 2020).
The most frequently sold items in 2021 were electronic appliances, clothes and shoes, followed by kitchen utensils and accessories. The clear front-runners among the "Circular Heroes" with a total of 40'000 items sold are the Salvation Army's second-hand shops, Ricardo and tutti.ch.
The initiators of the Secondhand Day draw a very positive conclusion. Francesco Vass, CEO of Ricardo, is delighted with the renewed success of the Secondhand Day: "The strong growth in the number of participating Circular Heroes as well as the numerous positive feedbacks motivate us to establish the Secondhand Day as an annual campaign day together with the other initiators". Kai Landwehr, Head of Marketing at myclimate, says: "The national Secondhand Day is very special for us. Such great figures on CO2 savings show what a difference sustainable and at the same time enjoyable action can make. But it also proves what would only be possible if even more people joined in every day."