Around the world, the holiday season brings a sharp rise in consumption and an equally sharp rise in waste. A 2025 analysis by Boston Consulting Group reveals that global textile waste has surpassed 120 million metric tonnes annually, the highest level ever recorded. Much of this waste ends up in countries that lack the infrastructure to manage it.
From North America and Europe to emerging economies in Asia, the weeks between late November and early January create one of the most intense annual waste spikes on the planet. The consequences extend far beyond where the shopping takes place.
When holiday waste becomes a global burden
Each year, millions of tonnes of clothing and packaging move through holiday supply chains. A significant portion is never reused or resold. Instead, it is exported to countries where waste systems are already under strain.
Markets in Ghana, Kenya, Chile and India receive enormous volumes of unwanted clothing from wealthier nations. Much of it arrives damaged or unsellable, ending up in landfills, rivers or informal dumping grounds. These communities are carrying the environmental cost of global holiday traditions.
This is not a local issue. It is a global one—and its scale continues to grow faster than efforts to address it.
Rethinking the holidays through Thriftmas
What if we approached the holidays differently this year? Instead of defaulting to new purchases, we could embrace a tradition known as Thriftmas, which focuses on gifting secondhand, vintage or upcycled items.
The idea first emerged on social media in the late 2010s and gained momentum through the early 2020s as resale platforms and sustainability conversations became more mainstream. What began as a quiet online suggestion has evolved into a simple, practical response to both holiday waste and rising economic pressure.
Thriftmas invites us to rethink what makes a gift meaningful—and whether something already in circulation can be just as special as something bought new.
Why more shoppers are open to second-hand gifting
Several trends suggest this shift is more achievable than ever. Recent retail surveys show that nearly 60 per cent of holiday shoppers are open to buying secondhand gifts, with many planning to spend close to 40 per cent of their holiday budgets on resale items.
Rising prices are influencing behaviour. Families across many countries are spending more cautiously. Younger consumers are leading the move towards reuse, with older generations increasingly following their example.
Quality, meaning and better value
Quality also supports the Thriftmas approach. Secondhand items often offer better materials at more accessible prices. A wool coat, a ceramic serving bowl or a vintage book can feel far more personal than a mass-produced alternative. Many people are discovering that a gift does not need to be brand new to be meaningful.
The environmental case for reuse
The environmental benefits are equally compelling. Reuse slows the demand for constant new production, reduces packaging waste and cuts down on shipments associated with holiday shopping.
Most importantly, it keeps clothing and goods in circulation and out of global waste streams. If more holiday shoppers chose reuse, the volume of textiles exported to the Global South would decline—reducing pressure on countries that have become the world’s unintended dumping grounds.
How retailers are responding
Retailers have taken notice. Major outdoor brands, fashion labels and home goods companies now operate official resale programmes. Patagonia runs Worn Wear. REI offers Re/Supply. IKEA has its As Is marketplace, both in-store and online.
Everyday retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy and Target now offer verified refurbished products. The resale market continues to expand across clothing, technology, furniture, books and home goods.
Thriftmas and the bigger circular economy picture
Thriftmas fits within a broader global conversation about circularity and responsible consumption. While many countries are strengthening waste and recycling policies, recycling alone cannot keep pace with the scale of holiday purchasing.
Reuse is a more immediate and achievable solution. It is accessible, affordable and inclusive—anyone can take part.
How Thriftmas became a family tradition
My own family began celebrating Thriftmas almost by accident. It started the year I shared my Depop wish list with my mother. She hesitated, mainly because she could not return anything and the idea felt unfamiliar—but she tried it anyway.
Something shifted. The following year, my brother asked for a secondhand list too. Then my cousins joined in, followed by their cousins. What began as one small request grew into a family tradition.
The gifts now feel more thoughtful because someone took the time to search for something meaningful. The season feels calmer and far less wasteful. If one small change in a single household can spread this quickly, perhaps this is how Thriftmas grows.
Experiences over things
Another effective way to reduce holiday waste is to give experiences instead of physical items. A theatre evening, a special dinner or a favourite sporting event often creates stronger memories than another sweater that eventually disappears into the back of a wardrobe.
Experiences generate meaning without generating waste—and often feel far more personal than anything wrapped in a box.
A more thoughtful way to celebrate
If the holiday season is one of the world’s biggest waste events, Thriftmas offers a practical and hopeful response. It shifts focus from impulse buying to intentional choosing. It reduces environmental impact during a season defined by excess.
Most importantly, it reminds us that the value of a gift lies in care and intention, not in whether it came straight off a store shelf.
Thriftmas offers a way to celebrate that is lighter on the planet and richer in meaning. In a world searching for better ways to honour the holidays without creating more harm, it may be the most thoughtful gift we can give.
