Spotlight: Depop -- Turning Secondhand Into a Cultural Movement

Meet Depop — the resale platform turning secondhand into a cultural movement — and the Seeing Green Solutionist of the Day.

In this Spotlight episode, we explore one of the fastest-growing shifts in sustainable living: the rise of recommerce. The fashion industry is responsible for up to 10% of global carbon emissions and 92 million tons of textile waste each year — but a new generation is redefining what it means to shop, wear and express personal style.

Depop is leading this transformation. Part marketplace, part social platform, Depop empowers millions of users — especially Gen Z — to buy, sell and upcycle clothing in a way that’s accessible, creative and climate-conscious. Instead of feeding the fast fashion cycle, Depop keeps garments in circulation longer, reduces demand for virgin materials and turns personal closets into micro-enterprises that support circular fashion.

Unlike traditional resale platforms, Depop removes friction from secondhand shopping through intuitive mobile tools, seamless listing features, and community-driven discovery that makes pre-loved fashion feel modern, curated and aspirational. For buyers, it’s a way to shop sustainably without sacrificing expression. For sellers and creators, it’s an opportunity to build businesses rooted in circularity, creativity and climate action.

In this episode, we unpack how Depop is turning secondhand into second nature — and why it represents not just a trend, but a fundamental reimagining of fashion’s future. From marketplace innovation to cultural influence, Depop shows that the clothes we choose can be part of the solution.

Transcript

Welcome to Seeing Green - Solutions for our Daily Lives. The podcast where we spotlight the brands, ideas and people making it easier to live sustainably every day.

Today’s episode is part of our “Spotlight” series – a deep dive into one of our Seeing Green Solutionists of the Day. And now… today’s solution.

Welcome everyone to this special deep dive. We're digging into content for episode 44 of the Seeing Green podcast and today's discussion is part of our Seeing Green Spotlight series. That's where we take a closer look at the Seeing Green Solutionist of the Day. You know, the people and brands bringing real solutions for healthier, greener daily lives. And just a quick reminder before we jump in, if you enjoy this kind of content, please do subscribe to the podcast. Also, think about joining the Seeing Green community over at SeeingGreen.eco. And of course, follow us @SeeingGreenEco across your favorite social media channels. Okay, so I have to admit I was just checking out that new Vibe Check feature you guys launched on Saturday on the @SeeingGreenEco socials.

Oh yeah, what did you think?

Loved it. But I seriously spent like way too long pausing the video just trying to catch all those sustainable apparel brands you featured. Got me thinking about 2026 style already.

Huh. Planning ahead. I like it.

Well, yeah. It really hammered home how fast trends move, but also how many cool sustainable options are actually out there if you look. Seriously, can't wait for the next Vibe Check topic.

That's great to hear. And you know that feeling wanting unique style, but also feeling good about well the cost to the planet. That ties right into our topic today. We're returning to something that's always popular. Re-commerce.

Oh, re-commerce. So, buying secondhand, renting, repairing, repurposing, all that good stuff.

Exactly. And we've definitely touched on it before. Remember we covered brands like Nuuly, ThredUp, and Beni.

Yeah. And there was that Greening My episode focused on secondhand and rental sites, too.

Right. Plus, the Seeing Green website itself has spotlights on, I think, over 20 brands now in that whole secondhand rental repair space. So, definitely check those out if this area interests you. But today, today we're focusing the spotlight on a brand that's seen as a real pioneer, a leader, especially in making secondhand cool for Gen Z.

Okay. Intriguing. Who is it?

The brand called Depop.

Ah, Depop. Okay. Yeah, they feel huge. So, let's start big picture then. What's the actual scale of this re-commerce market we're talking about? Is it still niche or…

Oh, it's way beyond niche now. It's massive and growing incredibly fast. You know, the old take, make waste fashion model, it's genuinely being challenged. The global re-commerce market, so resale, circular commerce, it's projected to hit, get this, $350 billion by 2027.

Wow. 350 billion. That's I mean, how does that compare to say traditional retail growth?

Well, here's the kicker. It's growing five times faster than the overall retail sector.

Five times faster.

And maybe even more significantly. Resale in fashion alone is expected to be twice the size of fast fashion by 2030.

Twice the size of fast fashion. That's that's a fundamental shift.

It absolutely is. It points towards that goal of making buying used the default, you know, and buying new becomes the exception.

So, what's fueling this? I mean, affordability is obviously part of it, right? Especially now, but it feels like more than just saving cash.

It is. It's definitely a Economic value is a driver for sure, but so are genuine sustainability concerns. And critically, it's younger generations, Gen Z especially, who just think about consumption differently. Secondhand isn't just thrifty anymore. It's become a cultural movement.

And Depop really tapped into that, didn't they? They sort of rode that wave or maybe even helped create it.

I think they absolutely helped create it. Depop is really recognized for popularizing pre-loved fashion. They redefined consumption by making it community-powered, social.

Okay, let's get into Depop itself then. Give us the basics. Where did they come from?

Sure. They started in the UK back in 2011.

Love it. Okay.

And maybe the biggest signal of how mainstream this model has become. They were acquired by Etsy in 2021.

Etsy bought them Wow. For how much?

For a pretty staggering $1.625 billion.

Whoa. Okay. Etsy. That's interesting. You think of Etsy for handmade unique maker stuff. Does buying Depop change Etsy or does it just show that sale is the future?

I think it definitely signals the latter. Their missions actually align quite well. You know, Depop’s mission is explicitly to make secondhand the first choice. And they do that by making it easy, social, and aspirational. That last part's key.

Aspirational secondhand. That was the game changer, wasn't it?

Totally. It's a mobile first platform. It's not just shopping. It blends ecommerce with social media and community features. You follow sellers, you like listings. You build this personal style feed. It feels very native to how younger people interact online.

And the user base reflects that

Completely. They have something like uh 43.5 million registered users now across 150 countries.

Wow.

And yeah, over 90% of their active user base is Gen Z. It's basically the pulse of youth fashion.

Which brings us to the clothes themselves. What kind of fashion defines Depop? It's not just any old thrift store finds, right? It has a specific vibe.

It definitely does. It's known for vintage, yes, but also street wear and these really specific, often fastmoving niche trends. Things like Y2K fashion, Coquette, Gorpcore.

Okay, wait. Gorpcore. I keep hearing that one. What is that?

Uh, basically it's like technical outdoor gear. Think fleeces, puffer jackets, hiking boots, but worn as fashion, high-end stuff often.

Right. Okay, got it. Functional, but make it fashion.

Exactly. And Depop thrives on that kind of specificity. Because users drive it, you can find really unique vintage pieces. It's even become a sourcing ground for stylists, celebrities looking for that one-of-a-kind item.

So, it's less about brand names sometimes and more about nailing a specific look or aesthetic.

Precisely. I mean, yeah, you find Nike, Zara, Supreme, all the big names, but the platform's magic is in finding items that fit minimalism or '90s vamp or whatever the current micro trend is. They see searches spike for like bowling bag by thousands of percent overnight.

That's fascinating. Okay, so connecting this back to the bigger picture,the sustainability angle, why does pop matter for the planet beyond just selling used clothes.

Well, the core impact is diversion, right? Keeping clothes out of landfill and extending the life of garments. That's huge. There are stats showing that extending a garment's life by just 9 months, just 9 months, can cut its carbon, water, and waste footprint by up to 30%.

30% just for wearing something a bit longer. That's actually really significant.

It really is. Since they started, they figure over 100 million items that already existed have been given a second life through their platform.

100 million items.

Yeah. And their data suggests that over three out of every five purchases on Depop actually prevent someone from buying a new item somewhere else. So, it's direct displacement.

That's powerful. And it's not just about the planet, is it? There's a people angle, too.

Absolutely. It's democratizing the circular economy in a way. It empowers users, thousands of them, to earn income just from their own closets. It turns regular people into micro entrepreneurs, maybe even small business owners. And it fosters that “buy better, buy less” mindset by making reuse the easy, even cool option.

Does Depop itself have corporate sustainability goals like beyond just enabling resale, what about their own footprint?

Yeah, they do make a significant commitment there. They offset their scope one, two, and scope three greenhouse gas emissions every year.

Okay. Scope one and two, that's their direct operations and energy use, right? Yeah. But scope three, that's the tricky one for a platform like this, isn't it?

It is because scope 3 includes everything else in the value chain. For Depop, crucially, that includes every single delivery.

Every package sent between a seller in like Manchester and a buyer in Melbourne.

Exactly. Measuring and offsetting that for a decentralized network of millions of users shipping things individually, it's a massive undertaking. It shows they see the whole transaction’s lifecycle as their responsibility. That commitment is impressive. So, let's talk about how they made secondhand so appealing. You said easy, social, aspirational. It definitely doesn't feel like digging through dusty racks at a traditional thrift store.

Right. That was the genius. They removed the friction. They made circularity convenient, even fun. It feels more like scrolling Instagram or Pinterest than shopping sometimes.

How did they do that? What are the key features?

Well, the social feed discovery is probably the biggest thing. It's personalized. It emphasizes style, trends, aesthetics, not just searching for a specific item like say blue sweater.

So you might search for an aesthetic like minimalism or Y2K.

Exactly. Or Argyle prep or whatever is trending. You browse looks. And then there's the seller side. They made selling incredibly easy.

How so?

Things like instant shipping labels. Sellers can list something, someone buys it, and they generate a shipping label with basically one click. No figuring out postage, no trips to the post office necessarily.

Uh that takes away a huge hurdle for casual sellers, just getting stuff out the door.

Totally. And for buyers, they built in trust, things like secure in-app payments, buyer protection.

So the money's held until the item ships.

Yeah. Basically, it prevents scams, builds confidence, plus you have seller reviews, ratings, verified seller badges, all these signals that help you trust you're getting what you paid for even though it's used.

They also offer seller tools, right, to help people run their shop.

Yes. Things like photo templates, analytics to seewhat's working, ways to offer bundle pricing or run promotions. It helps sellers professionalize.

And I noticed you can filter by location, too. Is that about local community or sustainability?

Both really. You can filter for nearby sellers. That supports local circularity, you know, keeps money in the community, maybe even allows for in-person pickup sometimes. And of course, it drastically cuts down shipping emissions compared to buying something from halfway across the world. Ties back to that scope 3 thinking.

It's clear they built more than just a marketplace. place. It feels like a cultural force making secondhand genuinely stylish, aspirational.

Absolutely. They even have marketing terms for it like depopamine.

Depopamine. Like dopamine.

Yeah. That rush you get when you find the absolutely perfect unique item.

Huh. I like that.

And there's Depopelganger.

Okay. What's that?

That's supposed to be that feeling of connection when someone buys something you listed. Validating your taste. It emphasizes the human element, the community, the storytelling around items makes it feel more authentic than just buying new off a rack.

But -- this does bring us to that tension, doesn't it? The potential paradox here. Depop is so good at tapping into trends.

Right. And that's the unavoidable flip side. It's become deeply intertwined with the trend cycle, often a very fast trend cycle driven by platforms like TikTok.

So, while it extends the life of some garments…

It might also accelerate the churn of others. If everyone buys into say cottagecore for six months via Depop and then the trend dies, did we really solve overconsumption or just shift it to used items?

And there have been those examples, haven't there? Like old fast fashion pieces, stuff that originally cost maybe $20.

Yeah. Being resold for hundreds. Not because they're high quality or truly rare vintage, but just because they fit a fleeting viral aesthetic. The value becomes trendiness, not longevity.

It blurs the lines. Is it sustainable reuse or just sophisticated trend flipping?

Exactly. And there's also the persistent issue of sourcing. Depop officially banned drop shipping, you know, selling stuff wholesale without ever touching it back in 2020.

But it still happens.

Apparently, it's hard to police perfectly. So, sometimes buyers might struggle to know if they're getting a genuine secondhand item from someone's closet or basically new bulk bought stuff masquerading as vintage or pre-loved.

So, it really puts the onus back on the shopper, doesn't it? Even on a secondhand platform, you still have to be conscious.

You do. You have to navigate that desire for the new, the trendy with the goal of consuming responsibly. Depop highlights that tension perfectly.

So, wrapping this up, what's the big takeaway on Depop?

I mean, they've undeniably proven that the circular model can be mainstream, scalable, and deeply woven into youth culture. They made secondhand stylish, and empowered tons of micro businesses. That's huge.

They showed it could be done.

Yes. But the provocative thought maybe is that buying secondhand isn't automatically sustainable if the way we do it still mimics the speed and disposability of fast fashion. The challenge now for platforms like Depop and for all of us as consumers is how to make sure resale truly supports longevity and conscious choice.

Rather than just becoming fast fashion 2.0 but with used clothes.

Precisely. How do we shop consciously, prioritize durability and timelessness even when we're buying secondhand? That's the question to ponder.

A really important question. Well, if you want to explore it yourself, you can learn more about Depop by visiting them at Depop.com. And are you Interested in learning more about creating a greener, more sustainable daily life overall? Definitely check out the other episodes of the Seeing Green podcast, both our Spotlight Series and the Greening My series. And please subscribe while you're at it.

You can also join the Seeing Green community. Just sign up on the Seeing Green website. You'll find more trailblazers there making real strides in eco-friendly living through cool products, solutions, and practices. That's online at www.SeeingGreen.eco.

And don't forget to follow us @SeeingGreenEco across social media for all the latest tips. and solutions. We're on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, BlueSky, TikTok, LinkedIn, and now Pinterest, too. You name it, we're probably there. Thank you so much for joining us for this deep dive in the Seeing Green Spotlight series. Until next time, keep seeing green. 

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