If you search the word thrifting on Instagram, the platform will quickly generate scores of thrift store accounts. However, it wouldn’t be tedious to figure out that most thrift stores in India deal in clothing or accessories, with their target audience being Gen-Z.
Conspicuously, thrifting has caught on to a specific demographic who can afford to splurge on such low-impact purchases. The current trend has little to do with the original idea of thrifting, which was all about helping people save money while avoiding waste generation. The practice has unfortunately lost meaning in the wake of being a fad.
Away from this frenzied trend exists India Recycles, a platform that has been trying to promote thrifting in its true essence, all while creating a social impact.
Started by Ahmedabad-based public policy professional Renu Pokharna, India Recycles is a one-of-a-kind venture in the country that sells pre-owned goods to the urban poor at affordable prices.
Creating sustainable impact
When Renu moved to India after living in New York for a few years, she noticed that people here avoided buying second-hand goods. However, in New York, Pokharna would always shop at second-hand stores.
“Most people have a lot of stigma towards pre-owned goods in India, and people feel that it is dirty or it has been worn by someone else, so it won’t be clean,” she comments.
Therefore, upon her return to India, Renu tried experimenting with the idea of ‘swapping’ and organized various events for people to meet and donate or exchange pre-loved items.
“I did a few experiments between 2010 and 2017, but this often left behind a pile of goods that nobody wanted to claim,” says Renu.
In 2021, particularly during the COVID-induced lockdown, Renu began working with the informal sector – one of the most affected groups during the pandemic. Having seen potential in her prior thrifting experiments, she revamped the idea and launched India Recycles to help the urban poor. Since then, the organization has been regularly organizing slum sales to sell pre-loved goods as per the affordability of people in the slum.
Since their inception, the team of India Recycles has organized over 37 garage sales in about 20 locations across Ahmedabad and Vadodara.
“Thrifting has become a status symbol to buy second hand or thrift among the urban rich. We also want the poor to be able to access this kind of thrift market,” says Renu, who also runs some labor centers in Ahmedabad.
A fresh spin on thrifting
The team organizes various collection drives across the city and beyond. They also have tie-ups with colleges and cafes to conduct these donation drives. They got various products such as clothes, stationery items, toys and games, home utilities, utensils, etc. In fact, one of the cars they use to transport their products was also donated to them.
Once they receive the goods, a team of volunteers segregates them into various categories. Sometimes, they also upcycle a few products to give them a new life.
“Often, things come in bad conditions. Many women work with us to help create mattresses, stuffed animals, quilts, etc., using clothes that cannot be sold as is,” explains Renu.
The idea of a thrift market for the urban poor is of more practical importance than a brick-and-mortar store.
“When city people have to buy something, from furniture to clothes, it is very easy for them in terms of access and affordability. There is always an option to shop online, or there are several shops, but conventional markets don’t cater to the laborers,” shared Renu while talking about the problems informal sector workers face when it comes to shopping for the products of their daily needs.
Informal laborers work 8 to 12-hour shifts daily, making it difficult for them to buy something after returning home. Additionally, they do not have the luxury to spare weekends for shopping.
India Recycles thus takes the market to the working class every week. Their products are priced at as low as Rs.10, and sales occur during the early hours of the day.
“We usually set up the stall at a chowk so that more and more people can visit. We also ensure that information about upcoming sales is circulated through WhatsApp, and our volunteers even put up posters before the sale,” she shared.
For a green cause
Ten thousand liters of water is needed to make a single pair of jeans, and 2.16 million tons of waste is generated from jeans annually. These figures are enough to draw attention to the environmental crisis caused by textile waste alone.
India Recycles is a little drop in the ocean, taking a step towards sustainable living. Over the last two years, the enterprise has been able to recycle over 12,000 pieces of clothes, thus saving 32.4 million liters of water.
“We can’t stop people from buying things, but at least we can tell them not to buy new stuff, instead buy second-hand goods,” concludes Renu.
Undoubtedly, our country needs more enterprises like India Recycles to reduce wastage and promote the idea of recycling and upcycling.