More than a third of adults in Britain plan to give at least one ‘used’ gift to loved ones this Christmas, according to new research, which today shows a sharp increase in the number of people embracing resource-saving re-gifting .
The research – which was commissioned by second-hand photography and videography equipment supplier MPB – found that the 40 per cent of people planning to give a loved one as a gift represents a significant increase on the 26 per cent who said want to do the same. Christmas 2020.
Additionally, nearly three-quarters of respondents said they would like to receive a “used” gift this year – up from 45 percent in 2020 – while 57 percent said they consider green features when selecting gifts.
MPB’s fourth seasonal survey also found that almost half of respondents said they would prefer a used gift to a new one, while a similar percentage say they now care more about the gifts they receive being sustainable than in the past.
More than one in five consumers say recipients have even asked to buy the gifts second-hand – an increase from 17 percent last year.
In addition to sustainability concerns, about a third of donors said they cannot afford to buy brand new gifts due to the current cost of living crisis. In fact, 44 percent of adults plan to sell unused items to finance holiday shopping – up from 40 percent last year.
Matt Barker, founder and CEO of MPB, said the number of people planning to gift used items this year reflects growing environmental awareness and concern, as well as the continued pressure of persistently high costs of livelihood.
“Whatever the motivations, from cutting costs to helping the planet, buying and selling used products benefits everyone,” he said. “It’s promising to see greater confidence around buying and receiving used gifts.
“While more and more consumers are discovering circular behavior, there are so many people who are still unaware of its benefits, and we would encourage them to join the used revolution.”
He added that concerns about the quality and reliability of used products were increasingly outdated. “With the volume of high-quality products in recirculation, consumers have more opportunities to experience the benefits of purchasing second-hand products,” he said. “As manufacturing quality continues to improve, the shelf life of such products will only increase, giving customers access to used models that typically cost a third less than the same model new.”
According to a recent study from Cranfield University, reconditioned laptops produce just 6.34 percent of the CO2 emissions of an average new device – meaning around 316kg of CO2 emissions are avoided per unit, according to calculations by reconditioned laptop company Circular Computing .
Additionally, shoppers who bought refurbished devices on eBay saved an estimated 13,000 tons of CO2 emissions in 2022 – equivalent to producing 200,000 new phones – and over 400,000 kg of waste, the same weight as more than 3.4 million phones.
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