More Belgians than ever are buying and selling second-hand goods, according to a survey published on Wednesday for the Reuse Alliance.
The study found that more than half of Belgians sell second-hand items from time to time, while more than four in ten occasionally buy used products.
That puts both figures at record levels. Compared with 2022, the share of Belgians buying second-hand has risen by 5 percentage points, while the share selling such goods has increased by 6.5 points.
The survey also found that three in four Belgians had given items away over the past year to family, friends or charity.
Attitudes towards second-hand goods have become increasingly positive. More than eight in ten respondents, or 82.5%, said buying second-hand made them feel positive, while just 2.6% said it left them with a negative feeling.
At the same time, the share of Belgians who throw usable items out with household waste has fallen to 8.5%.
The research was commissioned to coincide with Earth Overshoot Day, the date on which humanity is deemed to have used up all the natural resources the planet can regenerate in a year.
This year, Earth Overshoot Day falls on 30 July, six days later than last year. However, that shift is mainly due to a revision of the scientific measurement method rather than a real reduction in the global environmental footprint.
The survey was carried out in April among 1,000 Belgians and has a maximum margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.
The Reuse Alliance is a partnership between Kringwinkel, 2dehands.be and Cash Converters.
