Vinted is an online second-hand clothing marketplace founded in Lithuania in 2008. By 2026, it operated in more than 25 countries and had over 75 million registered users in Europe. Sellers list items they no longer need and buyers purchase them at a lower price than buying a new good.
Vinted is helping the world to tackle the problem of unwanted clothing ending up in a landfill. By keeping clothes in use for longer, it reduces the need to produce new garments and is an example of the circular economy in action.
The app now also allows buyers and sellers to trade lots of different household items from Hot Wheels to Jellycats and football jerseys, so people can sell on items they are finished with rather than throwing them in the bin.
Key Skill: Evaluate the problems consumers face when trying to be more ethical or sustainable
Roisin is 17 and loves fashion. She buys most of her clothes from cheap non-EU websites because they are affordable on her part-time wage of €120 a week. Her friend Amara buys most of her clothes second-hand on Vinted and spends about the same amount but gets more items. Amara recently told Roisin that she has concerns about the possible conditions in some of the factories that supply some fast fashion businesses.
1.
Identify one ethical issue with Roisin’s current shopping habits.
2. Suggest one change Roisin could make that would be more sustainable and would not cost her more money.
3. Is it fair to criticise Roisin for buying from low priced sites given her income? Explain your answer.
4. Identify one benefit and one drawback of Amara buying from Vinted instead of buying new.