of Second-hand tr ade - Schibsted

Text
of Second-hand trade
• A report from Blocket
Content
A report from Blocket
Introduction - Blocket's environmental care takes several strides
forward
Foreword from Retoy
1. Results
– 1.6 million tonnes of saved greenhouse gases
– Increased environmental consideration
– Development compared to 2012
– Blocket’s own climate impact
– Kids - our greatest environmental heroes
– An animated tribute to the Swedish people
2. How the calculation is performed
– Assumptions
– Selection
– Method
– Potentially saved emission
– Included factors
– Excluded factors
4. Conclusions
5. Discussion
This is the second time that we at Blocket
cond-hand trade. As usual, the calculation
raises many discussions and ideas on how
we, at Sweden's largest marketplace, can
contribute so that more and more people
discover the advantages of second- hand
- both for the wallet and for the environment.
And during this past year, we’ve progressed a bit further. Among other things,
”I see Blocket as a
cogwheel in the transition
we as consumers need
to do in order to stop the
over-use of our planet's
resources.”
called ”We're All Environmental HeroSwedes credit for the 1.6 million tons of
greenhouse gases that can be avoided annually thanks to trade on Blocket – a huge
this report.
In a nationwide survey carried out by
Blocket in collaboration with Ipsos in
November last year, 42 percent of the
Swedish population stated that they
buy and sell second-hand to protect
the environment - we regard this as a
welcome renouncement of unsustainable throwaway behaviour. In order to
strengthen this consideration we’ve decided to introduce environmental messages
in all our major campaigns in the buy &
sell section on Blocket.
Our long-term partnership with the
78 toy-exchange activities in 2013, where
more than 5,600 children exchanged
over 14,000 toys. Children are our future
environmental heroes and we are proud
of the fantastic job Retoy is doing to create more meeting places where children
realise at an early stage how fun it is to
be environmentally friendly and simultaneously learn about their rights based
on the UN Convention on the Rights of
the Child (UNCRC). Read more about our
continued work together with Retoy on
page 12.
As new Managing Director, I am glad to
run a business that enables sustainable
consumption. I see Blocket as a cogwheel
in the transition we as consumers need
to do in order to stop the over- use of
our planet's resources. The four million
unique visitors that visit Blocket every
week can make a huge difference to the
environment, every time a second-hand
product changes hands.
As you’re reading this report, we’re
planning more activities that drive second-hand trade forward. Keep an eye on
Blocket - we have a lot of exciting things
coming up!
Jan Prokopec, MD Blocket
Imagine that your kids look you straight
in the eye and ask: "How could you
just buy and throw away lots of things
without thinking about how it will affect
nature and our future? Why didn’t you
care that the environment was becoming
more and more ill? " I want to prevent
that my kids even have to ask me that
question in the future.
We adults are aware of the climate challenges and the unsustainability we’ve
created. The effects of climate change are
clear and well documented on all continents and in the oceans. We all know we
share the same earth, but in Europe we
turn a blind eye to it and consume energy
and resources as though we had three
planets.
Children’s will to act has led to that Retoy
today arranges activities where children
- through playing, exchanging, borrowing
and creating - get to experience how fun
it is to be environmentally friendly, and
at the same time learn more about their
rights. Children constantly remind us that
life is simpler if we live according to our
principles. After all, they do as we do and
not what we say. If we put our own, our
children’s and our future generations’
choices.
Buying and selling on Blocket is an example of one such smart choice! It gives
me great hope for our children's future
when I read in this report that almost
every second Swede says that concern
for the environment is one of the main
reasons to buy and sell second-hand!
Slowly but surely, we are creating a better
world. Especially when we do it together
with children and are inspired and learn
from each other. Children's playfulness,
creativity, strong presence and empathy
are things many of us a adults have lost
over the years and need to rediscover.
When we rush about, without caring for
”Slowly but surely, we are creating a better world. Especially when we do it together with
the children and are inspired
to learn from each other."
each other, the things that surround us
and ourselves or the nature we feel well.
But we have the opportunity to make a
lot of wise choices that lead us to create
a life where we meet our daily needs,
without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet theirs. If we
act this way, we don’t have to worry about
tough questions from our children. We’ll
safely be able say that we did our best,
given the awareness we had. It's not the
world we dream of that determines the
future of our children, but the world we
are creating.
Soledad Piñero Misa, CEO and founder
of Retoy
1,6 million tons saved
Every week, approximately four million
unique visitors visit Blocket to post and
search among over half a million ads. 25
percent of the stuff is sold within a day
and 60 percent within a week. Millions of
the help of Blocket.
The calculations forming the basis for
this report are based on Blocket sales
statistics from 2013. They show that the
Swedish people are potentially saving 1.6
million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by trading second-hand instead of
buying and throwing away.
Increased consideration
Obviously, many people who sell and buy
stuff on Blocket are out to make a good
deal. Many also consider it to be a practical way to get rid of furniture and other
things that take up space.
But consideration for the environment as
a driving force behind second-hand trade
is an increasing trend. In a nationwide
survey carried out by Blocket in collaboration with Ipsos in 2009, 29 percent of
the Swedish population stated that they
buy and sell second-hand to protect the
environment.
In November 2013, 42 percent stated
the same reason. Today, two out of three
Swedes sell second- hand because they
want things to be reused. These are two
clear signs of renouncement of overconsumption.
Result: potentially saved greenhouse
gas emission (tons CO2 equivilant)
Telephones and accessories
Miscellaneous electronic goods
Cars*
500 (1 288 000)
Motorbikes
Caravans
& motor homes
Miscellaneous vehicles
Books
Bicycles
White goods
Furniture
Prams
Clothes & shoes
Electricity consumption,
operations
Transportation
Total savings
2 800
23 400
915
30 200
170 000
221 700
77
8 500
4 700
184 000
11 500
3 200
–9,5
– 22 600
1 553 000 (1 927 000)
The city of Stockholm’s Environmental Report (Stockholms stads miljöbarometer) Swedish Environmental Protection
Agency (Naturvårdsverket) 2011: http://www.naturvardsverket.se/Sa-mar-miljon/Statistik-A-O/Vaxthusgaser-utslapp-fran-inrikes- transporter/
6
Travel accounts for 30%, housing 30%, food 25% and other consumption 15%, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
2008: Carbon footprint from consumption, pages 34-38.
4
5
* In the category ”cars” new production but not scraping are included. In brackets the total number is included.
Footnote 1: The target group is the Swedish general public, 16 years and above. A total of 1,000 interviews were carried out
between November 5 and November 15 in 2013. All interviews are made via Ipsos’ web panel.
Development compared to 2012
In 2013, the second-hand trade of
fashion, furniture, interior decoration,
sports and exercise goods on Blocket
increased compared to 2012. The trade of
capital goods decreased as a result of the
state of the market.
second-hand trade potential climate betons compared to 2012.
This does not however mean that emissions have become potentially larger. The
reduced second-hand trade of e.g. cars in
the past year does not mean that the clicar sales also fell by 3.7 percent. When
fewer cars are produced, it corresponds
to large amounts of avoided emissions.
Among the winners of this year's climate
calculation is Clothes & Shoes, with 9
2012. The underlying driving forces are
Only 5 percent of Swedes
would throw away a bike that
they no longer want. More
than 100 000 used bikes are
sold on Blocket, each year.
believed to be the strong vintage trend,
increased environmental awareness and
interest in sustainable design.
icycles, caravans and motor homes grew
by 8 percent. The end of the year saw a
mild winter, which may have extended
the season for outdoor activities.
Clothing, shoes and books constitute
groups of goods whose total weight
currently is fairly small in Blocket’s trade,
and in the study’s result they therefore
appear to generate a marginal climate
duction of textiles, however, affects the
environment heavily, making recycling
vdry important.
The Swedish people have an average of
four electronic gadgets in their possession that they no longer have use for. The
total average value of these is over a thousand Swedish kronor. One in ten throws
away electronics goods, and one in four
stores them.
The rapid development of technology
contributes to more and more electronic
gadgets becoming out-dated. CDs and
DVDs are replaced by streaming services.
MP3 players and cameras change to becoming features in our smartphones.
Theoretically, this may mean that these
goods will no longer have to be produced,
which leads to greenhouse gas emissions
that can be avoided.
It is therefore of outmost importance that
electronic goods are not left lying around
in drawers, but are resold to new users.
Blocket’s own climate impact
The impact from the operation of Blocket
and from the transportation of goods
has a small impact on the total emissions
saved, but is still minus items the results
table. Blocket wants to continue to minimise its climate impact and is actively
working to reduce energy consumption
and it’s suppliers’ impact. Below are
some important steps in this process.
• Environmental policy:
We have developed a clear policy on
how our employees can act environmentally responsibly and minimise energy
consumption, emissions and waste. This
year we’re arranging workshops internally so that each team within Blocket
understands the policy and follow its
guidelines.
• Climate compensation for travel:
Together with the travel company Resia
we have chosen to offset our travel by
supporting Tricorona’s UN approved carbon offset projects. These projects lead
to the expansion of renewable energy in
developing countries.
• Supplier Requirements:
Our new supplier requirements, based
on the ten principles of the UN Global
time this year.
At the same time, the development
leads to consumption of more and more
electronic goods, as new models are
introduced at a rapid pace, meaning that
we constantly want to renew our techof Second-hand trade in electronic goods
unfortunately fell 9 percent.
Electronics goods have a big impact on
the climate in relation to their weight.
This is because extraction and processing
of components in electronic goods, and
their complicated manufacturing process,
emit large amounts of greenhouse gases.
Footnote 1: The survey is based on the TNS SIFO Internet panel, 18-75 years. Respondents were recruited through nationalFebruary 2013 yielded 1,000 responses. All respondents are anonymous and have been able to refrain from participating in
the survey. Footnote 2: Our Customer Survey from July 2013 that Blocket carried out together with HUI Research.
S
Children - our greatest environmental
heroes!
Since 2012, Blocket is collaborating with
the organisation Retoy, which creates
meeting places where children play out
a more sustainable future by exchanging,
borrowing and creating toys.
unteer support and marketing support,
Blocket supports Retoy’s goals in creating
knowledge of the activities and increasing
the number of toy exchange activities in
the country, which enables more children
to play their way towards a better world
with environment and children's rights as
a starting point. To be able to offer free,
regular and long-term activities for children in more locations in Sweden, Retoy
cooperates with several municipalities
spread out over the country.
their exchange activities was created.
Here, parents can learn about hazardous
chemicals, which toys should be sorted
out and why, and get tips on where to get
more information.
Blocket and Retoy also arranged a day
where organisations and authorities
discussed how they with joint efforts can
succeed in letting children's play with
non-toxic toys. Among other things, it
became clear how important it is to involve and raise awareness among parents,
as well as improving the supervision of
goods.
This October, Blocket added a recommendation on the site so that anyone about
to sell toys can take part of simple tips, to
avoid reselling of potentially dangerous
toys. So far, over 25,000 advertisers have
read Blocket's recommendation.
During 2013, Retoy arranged 78 activities
where more than 5,600 children exchanged over 14,000 toys. December is when
the Swedish people sell the most toys on
Blocket. This period, before Christmas, is
also when purchasing of newly produced
goods increase.
Blocket and Retoy therefore chose this
time of year to increase awareness about
dangerous chemicals that some toys
may contain, for children to be able to
play with non-toxic toys, and to prevent
toxins from spreading into the environmental life cycle. Among other things, a
toy sorting station that Retoy uses during
An tribute to the Swedish people
Environmental Heroes”, Blocket offers
tthe viewer a quick insight into the
second-hand trade. The purpose of the
for the 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gas
emissions that was
avoided in 2013 thanks to trade on Blockwill be distributed to all Blocket users
hrough receipt e-mails, on the site and in
Blocket’s social channels.
To calculate Blocket’s climate savings,
Blocket has collaborated with IVL The
Swedish Environmental Research Institute. They, in turn, have used Blocket’s
sales from 2013, customer surveys and
information on energy consumption for
the operation of Blocket and its server
rooms. The question that IVL the Swedish
Environmental Research Institute has
formulated is: How much pollution can
potentially be saved annually through
second-hand trade, if each used product
replaces the production of a new one?
Assumption
The method of calculating the potential
based on the assumption that each sold
used product replaces the production of
a new, equivalent product and the waste
management of the product. E.g., if someone buys a used dining table on Blocket,
rather than buying a new one, there’s
no need for producing a new table and a
used table does not need to be disposed
of. The study is thus based on two fundamental assumptions:
• whoever purchases an used item refrains from buying the corresponding new
product and the emissions associated
with new production are avoided.
• each sold used item doesn’t have to be
disposed of and the emissions associated
with the waste management are avoi-
corresponds to a ”best case" scenario
in order to demonstrate the potential
whatsoever.
Selection
The product categories included in the
selected based on the criteria that they;
• represent a large part of Blocket's total
volume of private ads
• include products that are reasonably
similar, so that the material partition and
its climate data are representative to the
entire category.
Only private individuals’ ads have been
taken into account. Moreover, advertising
of pets, concert tickets and accommodation has been excluded since they do not
involve the recycling of material goods.
In total, the study covers 53 product
categories, corresponding to 64 percent
of the second-hand ads on Blocket. The
limitation is set according to available
climate data and the ability to appreciate
the materials that the average product is
made of.
The calculations are based on the ads
that lead to sales. According to statistics
in 2013, 87 percent of the ads lead to the
purchase of a used item.
Method
Average materials
In order to develop climate data for
material extraction, material production
and waste management, IVL the Swedish
Environmental Research Institute
developed material partitions for the
various product categories on Blocket. In
each selected product category, random
sample tests on 30-50 published ads
were made. These ads were analysed and
the products’ average material partition
was calculated. An average product in
category ”Sofas & Chairs”, for example,
consists of 30 percent wood, 11 percent
steel, 18 percent polypropylene, 20 percent polyurethane, 10 percent polyester,
7 percent cotton, 3 percent leather and 1
percent wool. In all, 20 material partitions were produced, each representative
to at least one of the 53 selected product
material partitions is due to fact that a car
stereo, for instance, has a similar material
partitions as a home stereo system, but
the products are found in various categories on Blocket.
Example: Estimated content of materials in about 50 ads representing the category of armchairs/sofas
Basis for calculation
For each material, climate data for raw
material extraction, material production
and waste management was calculated.
The total was calculated into kilograms of
carbon dioxide equivalents.
The value per material was converted to
the composition of each material partition, so that each material partition
received a discharge value in kilograms
of CO2 equivalents per material partition,
which was subsequently multiplied by
the average weight per advertisement, in
order to produce the kilograms of CO2
equivalents per ad. This emission value
represented a standard for saved emissions from a product in the category that
didn’t have to be produced. This value
formed the basis for the calculation of the
each product category of Blocket.
Transport and operation
The impact of transportation of goods
between seller and buyer was also added
to the calculation - i.e. not an environmedistance of 44 km per ad was calculated,
based on Blocket’s customer survey, and
the climate impact from transport by passenger car (petrol) was included in the
calculation. Climate impact (not climate
added to the calculation. This consisted
of the climate impact from electricity production, both green electricity (wind and
water) and the average Nordic electricity
(nuclear, hydro, coal condensate power,
biofuel, etc.).
Carbon Footprint Calculator
All the climate data, ad data and the
impact of operations was entered into
the Carbon Footprint calculator that IVL
the Swedish Environmental Research
Institute has developed and the potential
calculated.
Potential saved emission
duction of new goods decreases as a
result of second-hand trade and that each
item not sold on Blocket is thrown away.
Therefore, the results of saved emissions
are referred to as potential or possible
climate savings.
Included factors
The study is based on:
• Emissions from the extraction of materials, production of materials, waste management of average products, transport
of goods between sellers and buyers, as
well as the operation of Blocket.
• The car category is based on emissions
from the extraction of materials and
materials production. Waste management
has been excluded in an alternative calculation, as a car is unlikely to be scrapped
if it is not sold second-hand.
Excluded factors
The study has not taken into consideration:
• The use of the product, such as a car's
petrol consumption, is not included. This
distinction has been done as study focuses on trading of goods, not their use.
• The climate impact of Swedish people,
i.e. energy consumption when visiting
Blocket, is not included in the calculation
of in 2013.
This report is the result of Blocket’s
The study shows that buying second-hand products instead of new
ones plays a big role for our climate. The
Swedish people are potentially saving
about 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gas
emissions through second-hand trade,
which represents 1.6 percent of Sweden's
total amount of consumption emissions. Approximately 160 kg per capita
consumption emissions are saved by
second-hand trade on Blocket.
The study has shown that all included
categories of second-hand trade protect
the climate when new equivalent goods
are not produced.
Since the results covers 64 percent of
the second-ads on Blocket, the study
shows only a part of the total amount of
emissions that can be avoided. If a larger
volume of Blocket second-ads would be
included, the potentially saved emissions
would be even greater.
if more people choose to buy and sell on
Blocket rather than buying new products
and throwing them away. It’s good for
the climate to reduce the consumption of
new products, thereby decreasing production needs.
second-hand trade in 2013. It has been
carried out based out on set assumptions
in order to begin to deepen knowledge
on the subject.
Blocket has initiated this environmental
work and see it as a long-term commitment that constantly can be improved.
Blocket are experts in second-hand trade,
online advertising and programming,
but has more to learn on how its business can contribute to reducing climate
impact. Therefore we would like to invite
to a dialogue about, what you, other
stakeholders and experts think about the
and its other environmental aspects. All
comments and tips are welcome. Feel
free to email us at [email protected]
The study does not show a complete
picture of all the environmental aspects
of second-hand trade. Obtaining a result
that covers all the products and aspects
of second-hand trade would become
a gigantic research project. This study
provides a good indication of how much
greenhouse gases the Swedish people are
potentially saving through second-hand
trade.
The study provides noteworthy information about the second-hand trade
and at Blocket we hope that the level
of awareness about climate change has
been raised even further. Together we
can work to prevent climate change and
spread information and ideas to jointly
safeguard the environment.