The Second Hand September campaign, led by Oxfam . . . seeks to encourage shopping at local organisations and charities as alternatives to fast fashion brands such as Primark and Boohoo in the name of saving our planet. As innocent as mindless scrolling through online shops may seem, such consumers are unintentionally—or perhaps even knowingly—contributing to an industry that uses more energy than aviation. . . .
Brits buy more garments than any other country in Europe, so it comes as no shock that many of those clothes end up in UK landfills each year: 300,000 tonnes of them, to be exact. This waste of clothing is destructive to our planet, releasing greenhouse gasses as clothes are burnt as well as bleeding toxins and dyes into the surrounding soil and water. As ecologist Chelsea Rochman bluntly put it, “The mismanagement of our waste has even come back to haunt us on our dinner plate.”
It’s not surprising, then, that people are scrambling for a solution, the most common of which is second-hand shopping. Retailers selling consigned clothing are currently expanding at a rapid rate . . . If everyone bought just one used item in a year, it would save 449 million lbs of waste, equivalent to the weight of 1 million Polar bears. “Thrifting” has increasingly become a trendy practice. London is home to many second-hand, or more commonly coined ‘vintage’, shops across the city from Bayswater to Brixton.
So you’re cool and you care about the planet; you’ve killed two birds with one stone. But do people simply purchase a second-hand item, flash it on Instagram with #vintage and call it a day without considering whether what they are doing is actually effective?
According to a study commissioned by Patagonia, for instance, older clothes shed more microfibres. These can end up in our rivers and seas after just one wash due to the worn material, thus contributing to microfibre pollution. To break it down, the amount of microfibres released by laundering 100,000 fleece jackets is equivalent to as many as 11,900 plastic grocery bags, and up to 40 per cent of that ends up in our oceans. . . . So where does this leave second-hand consumers? [They would be well advised to buy] high-quality items that shed less and last longer [as this] combats both microfibre pollution and excess garments ending up in landfills. . . .
Luxury brands would rather not circulate their latest season stock around the globe to be sold at a cheaper price, which is why companies like ThredUP, a US fashion resale marketplace, have not yet caught on in the UK. There will always be a market for consignment but there is also a whole generation of people who have been taught that only buying new products is the norm; second-hand luxury goods are not in their psyche. Ben Whitaker, director at Liquidation Firm B-Stock, told Prospect that unless recycling becomes cost-effective and filters into mass production, with the right technology to partner it, “high-end retailers would rather put brand before sustainability.”
The act of “thrifting”, as described in the passage, can be considered ironic because it:
- is an anti-consumerist attitude.
- has created environmental problems.
- is not cost-effective for retailers.
- offers luxury clothing at cut-rate prices.
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
The irony of "thrifting" as described in the passage lies in its unintended negative environmental impact. The passage outlines the Second Hand September campaign promoting second-hand shopping as eco-friendly, contrasting it with fast fashion's energy usage exceeding that of aviation.
Although thrifting aims to reduce garment waste and its harmful ecological effects, it inadvertently introduces environmental issues through microfibres shed by aged clothing, contaminating waterways.
Thus, the irony resides in this practice of presumed sustainability contributing to ecological harm, aligning with the choice: has created environmental problems.
According to the author, companies like ThredUP have not caught on in the UK for all of the following reasons EXCEPT that:
- luxury brands want to maintain their brand image.
- luxury brands do not like their product to be devalued
- the British don’t buy second-hand clothing.
- recycling is currently not financially attractive for luxury brands
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
To solve the question, we need to identify the reason why companies like ThredUP have not caught on in the UK, excluding one incorrect option provided. The passage provides insights into consumer behavior and business strategies related to second-hand clothing, particularly focused on the UK market.
The possible reasons mentioned in the passage are:
- Luxury brands prefer not to circulate their latest stock globally to avoid selling at cheaper prices (related to maintaining brand image).
- High-end retailers prioritize brand image over sustainability unless recycling becomes cost-effective (indicating luxury brands’ reluctance to devalue their products).
- A generational norm of consuming new products rather than second-hand items is mentioned, but it does not specifically state that the British don’t buy second-hand clothing.
- Recycling needs to become financially attractive with compatible technology for luxury brands to consider its benefits.
The options given are:
- Luxury brands want to maintain their brand image.
- Luxury brands do not like their product to be devalued.
- The British don’t buy second-hand clothing.
- Recycling is currently not financially attractive for luxury brands.
Comparing these points with the passage, the statement that "the British don’t buy second-hand clothing" is not supported. The passage discusses the preference for new items and the increasing trend of second-hand shopping, indicating that the British do buy second-hand clothing.
Thus, the correct answer is: the British don’t buy second-hand clothing.
The central idea of the passage would be undermined if:
- customers bought all their clothes online.
- Primark and Boohoo recycled their clothes for vintage stores
- second-hand stores sold only high-quality clothes.
- clothes were not thrown and burnt in landfills.
The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
The passage primarily advocates for sustainable shopping practices, particularly second-hand shopping, as a solution to mitigate the adverse environmental impact of the fashion industry. Additionally, it underscores the importance of consumers being conscientious about the environmental consequences of their clothing choices, advocating for the selection of durable items that minimize microfiber shedding.
While emphasizing the potential environmental downside of second-hand clothing due to microfiber pollution, the passage suggests that this issue could be mitigated if second-hand clothes were consistently of higher quality. By purchasing high-quality items that shed fewer fibers and last longer, consumers can address both microfiber pollution and the accumulation of excess garments in landfills. Therefore, Option C is correct.
Option A pertains more to the purchasing process rather than the characteristics of the clothing, thus it does not necessarily contradict the central idea of the passage.
Option B could potentially align with the sustainability objective and reinforce the central idea, thus it doesn't inherently undermine it.
Option D aligns with the central idea by advocating for reduced environmental harm through sustainable shopping practices.
So, the correct option is (C): second-hand stores sold only high-quality clothes.
Based on the passage, we can infer that the opposite of fast fashion, ‘slow fashion’, would most likely refer to clothes that:
- are sold by genuine vintage stores.
- are of high quality and long lasting.
- do not shed micro fibres.
- do not bleed toxins and dyes.
The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
Option B is the correct option because the passage underscores the environmental concerns linked with fast fashion, notably the wasteful disposal of garments in landfills. Contrary to the disposable and rapid turnover nature of fast fashion, a more sustainable and enduring approach is advocated, which corresponds with the concept of "slow fashion."
The passage implies that purchasing durable, high-quality items is a strategy to address the adverse environmental effects of the fashion industry. Consequently, 'slow fashion' can be inferred to denote clothing characterized by superior quality and longevity, advocating for a more sustainable and environmentally conscious approach to fashion consumption.
So, the correct option is (B): are of high quality and long lasting.
Top Questions on Reading Comprehension
From a very early age, I knew that when I grew up, I should be a writer. I had the lonely child's habit of making up stories and holding conversations with imaginary persons, and I think from the very start my literary ambitions were mixed up with the feeling of being isolated and undervalued. I knew that I had a facility with words and a power of facing unpleasant facts, and I felt that this created a sort of private world in which I could get my own back for my failure in everyday life. I wanted to write enormous naturalistic novels with unhappy endings, full of detailed descriptions and arresting similes, and also full of purple passages in which words were used partly for the sake of their sound. I give all this background information because I do not think one can assess a writer's motives without knowing something of his early development.
His subject-matter will be determined by the age he lives in — at least this is true in tumultuous, revolutionary ages like our own — but before he ever begins to write he will have acquired an emotional attitude from which he will never completely escape. It is his job to discipline his temperament, but if he escapes from his early influences altogether, he will have killed his impulse to write. I think there are four great motives for writing, at any rate for writing prose. They are: (i) Sheer egoism: Desire to seem clever, to be talked about, to be remembered after death, to get your own back on grown-ups who snubbed you in childhood; (ii) Aesthetic enthusiasm: Desire to share an experience which one feels is valuable and ought not to be missed (iii) Historical impulse: Desire to see things as they are, to find out true facts and store them up for the use of posterity (iv) Political purpose: Desire to push the world in a certain direction, to alter other people's idea of the kind of society that they should strive after.
[Extracted with edits from George Orwell's "Why I Write"]- CLAT - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
Read the sentence and infer the writer's tone: "The politician's speech was filled with lofty promises and little substance, a performance repeated every election season."
- CUET (UG) - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
- Read the sentence and answer the question: ``Not only did he forget my birthday, but he also ignored my calls the next day." Which of the following best describes the tone?
- CUET (UG) - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
- Read the passage and answer the The Reserve Bank of India was established in the year 1935. The Central office of RBI is in Mumbai. The main function of the Reserve Bank of India is to regulate the issue of Bank Notes and keeping of reserves with a view to securing monetary stability in India. It generally operates the currency and credit system of the country to its advantage. In this passage, ‘Bank Notes’ refers to
- KMAT KERALA - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
- Read the passage and answer the Animals are the most adorable and loving creatures existing on Earth. They may not be able to speak but they can understand. Domestic animals mostly move with humans. Wild animals generally live in forests. Animals play a vital role in maintaining nature’s balance. This passage primarily focused on the importance of
- KMAT KERALA - 2025
- English
- Reading Comprehension
Questions Asked in CAT exam
When $10^{100}$ is divided by 7, the remainder is ?
- CAT - 2024
- Basics of Numbers
- A shop wants to sell a certain quantity (in kg) of grains. It sells half the quantity and an additional 3 kg of these grains to the first customer. Then, it sells half of the remaining quantity and an additional 3 kg of these grains to the second customer. Finally, when the shop sells half of the remaining quantity and an additional 3 kg of these grains to the third customer, there are no grains left. The initial quantity, in kg, of grains is
- CAT - 2024
- Algebra
- Gopi marks a price on a product in order to make 20% profit. Ravi gets 10% discount on this marked price, and thus saves Rs 15. Then, the profit, in rupees, made by Gopi by selling the product to Ravi, is
- CAT - 2024
- Profit and Loss
- If m and n are natural numbers such that n > 1, and mn = 225 × 340, then m − n equals
- CAT - 2024
- Exponents and Powers
- Five jumbled up sentences (labelled 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5), related to a topic, are given below. Four of them can be put together to form a coherent paragraph. Identify the odd sentence and key in the number of that sentence as your answer.
- CAT - 2024
- Para Jumbles