WRAP develops method for retailers to calculate footprint gain from textile repair and resale
New methodology aims to quantify environmental benefits from circular models like secondhand shopping and mending clothing reduce through their ‘displacement’ of new clothing production.
A new report, published by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), provides the textiles sector with a consistent approach to calculating “displacement rates” - the rate at which circular activities directly prevent the purchase of brand-new items.
According to the ‘Displacement Rates Untangled’ report, the average displacement rate is over 80 per cent for clothing repairs, and over 60 per cent for the resale of second-hand items.
Displacement accounts for any second-hand purchases that replace buying a brand-new item. It does not include impulsive second-hand purchases, or if the citizen would have only purchased second-hand regardless.
The report also calculates the environmental benefits created by the choice to repair or resell. For instance, buying a second-hand pair of jeans instead of a brand-new pair saves over 30 kg of carbon dioxide emissions (CO2e). Similarly, repairing one cotton t-shirt saves approximately 7.5 CO2e.
Harriet Lamp, CEO of WRAP, commented: “Our research shows that buying preloved both satisfies our desire for clothes, for something new-to-us, and means we don’t buy so many brand-new items. What’s more, we can now clearly and consistently measure the environmental case for a range of circular business models including repair.”
The textiles and fashion industry currently account for eight to ten per cent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with the UK currently consuming the fourth highest amount of clothing after the USA, China, and India in 2024.
Activities related to raw materials and clothing manufacturing account for 70 per cent of the industry's GHG emissions, the section of the supply chain repair and reuse initiatives aim to combat.
Collaborations with repair and resale brands
The report presents two case studies to validate the methodology across different circular business models.
The first examines peer-to-peer online resale, aggregating results from Vestiare Collective, eBay, and Depop. Based on 7,061 survey responses collected between September and December 2024, the study confirmed the 64.6 per cent displacement rate.
Discussing the study, Justine Porterie, Director of Sustainability and DEI at Depop, said: “We believe in the power of resale to offer a credible and less impactful alternative to shopping new - and are keen to prove it with data. We've been on a journey to measure our impact for some years now, and that's why we welcome an industry aligned methodology for calculating the displacement rate.”
Duonia Wone, Chief Impact Officer at Vestiaire Collective, added: “The substitution rate is becoming a crucial KPI, as it reflects changing consumer behaviour and how circularity is driving a shift away from first-hand purchases.
“We fully support efforts to establish a standardized approach, as it will bring consistency and credibility to the circular industry.”
The second case study focuses on clothing repair, using data from Sojo, the Seam, and Finisterre. The 721 survey responses collected also confirmed the 82.2 displacement rate for repairs.
Amy Brock-Morgan, Head of Lived & Loved Repairs at Finisterre, explained how the brand intends to use the findings: “The industry and brands can now start to build on this influential knowledge to shape future strategy and engagement. I am excited to bring this data back to our Finisterre community and continue threading the needle and patching up our customers kit ready for their next adventure.”
WRAP’s five-step approach for calculating displacement rates
The report outlines a comprehensive approach for organisations to calculate their own displacement rates:
- Determine appropriate sample sizes based on business size, ranging from 200 responses for micro-businesses to over 1,000 for large businesses, and ensure that sample represents customer demographics
- Use carefully designed questions that incorporate framing questions about demographics and product types, a main displacement question (“do you think that buying/renting/repairing this item has stopped you from buying a brand-new item?’), and follow up questions
- Conduct surveys either online or in-store within three months of purchase, with responses monitored to ensure representative sampling
- Regularly check that survey responses match typical customer and product demographics, adjusting approaches if needed
- Calculate the final displacement rate by assigning specific percentage values to each combination of responses
WRAP recommends updating displacement rate measurements every two years to account for changing consumer behaviours.
Lamb added: “Our data now quantifies the big environmental savings from preloved and repair. This is great news for shoppers as it shows that introducing a little circular living into your life reduces the price and the environmental price tag too.”
