Circular economy rebound effect in the context of secondhand clothing consumption in the Netherlands

The purpose of this study was to analyse the extent to which circular economy rebound occurs due to secondhand clothing (SHC) consumption in the Netherlands. A total of 422 respondents participated in a survey that included three blocks for analysis: a) adequacy of SHC to substitute brand-new clothes (BNC), b) effect of low prices, re-spending, and liquid asset effect, and c) displacement of BNC with SHC. The results show that within consumers of the survey population, CER is likely to occur due to SHC consumption. In terms of substitutability, respondents perceive SHC as an adequate substitute for BNC. However, the propensity for rebound found in this study is attributed to low prices, re-spending effect, and liquid asset effect. Furthermore, the insight obtained from this study shows that the displacement of BNC with SHC is low due to the opening of a new market and overconsumption enabled by low prices of SHC. This research contributes to understand the factors that can offset the environmental benefits of SHC.