Clothes tumble out of skyscrapers, pile up in stairwells, and clog pavements and streets. A voice instructs viewers to “visualise 190,000 garments produced each minute”. The cityscape drowning in textiles is just one of the dystopian scenes generated in Netflix’s new documentary Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy, which critiques contemporary retailers for their buy more (waste more) business models.

Most of us know that contemporary consumption patterns are unsustainable. In Scotland – where we authors live – it is estimated that 80% of our carbon emissions come from “things we make, buy, use and ultimately throw away”. And we are throwing away more than ever before. The World Bank estimates that by 2050 global annual waste generation will reach 3.88 billion tonnes, an increase of 73% on 2020 waste levels.

We need a more circular economy where we extend the lives of products and resources already in circulation.

But shopping more ethically is difficult, especially at this time of year when digital offers crowd our screens. In Buy Now, Netflix exposes the covert marketing techniques that digital retailers use, designed to encourage us to keep purchasing. Bombarded with choice and opportunity, seasonal shopping can be hard work, especially when trying to make ethical choices as an individual consumer.

Buying secondhand is more circular but it is not always an easy solution. Many consumers still find secondhand shopping problematic. It is associated with more social stigma than buying new – and buying pre-loved goods is perceived to be less convenient and reliable than digital retail models.

And yet secondhand consumption is on the increase. So how do shoppers who want to embrace secondhand overcome the temptation to buy new and buy now?

The secret is ensuring secondhand shoppers are supported to shop ethically by others. In our recent research paper, we asked consumers what factors encouraged them to shop secondhand.

Many participants told us of their moral struggles to become more ethical consumers, admitting that it felt good not to “feed the beast of fast fashion”, as one interviewee put it. But they still experienced aversions to secondhand shopping through not knowing where clothes have come from, and if they have been cleaned.

Read more:
Secondhand clothes can be swimming in germs – what vintage shoppers need to know

This tension fits with Aristotle’s theory of virtue ethics, which stresses how an individual’s moral decision-making is a process propelled by pleasure and pain. That is, people are attracted to behaviour that makes them feel good and avoid actions that give rise to guilt.

However, our research revealed that part of the pleasure is not individual, but social. We found that consumers were supported in their ethical decision-making by actions from secondhand retail sites, such as charity shops, and from friends and family in their wider community.

The shoppers in our study found that they could be seduced to shop secondhand if the aesthetics and experience of the retail environment were right. They told us that they enjoyed shopping in spaces that were “laid out nicely” and were “light, spacious, not much smell” – much like other high street stores and in contrast to the stereotype of the cluttered and disorganised charity shop.

Perhaps more interestingly, others enjoyed the thrill of “looking, finding and searching”, as well as “diverse styles” that contrast with the usual convenience-focused retail experience. Consumers, we found, are after the treasure-hunting experience of secondhand shopping but in light and airy surroundings.

Committed shoppers were not just seduced by attractive surroundings, they were also converted to secondhand shopping when their enjoyment of the experience was shared with others. Consumers told us how they had been encouraged to shop with family members and friends who shared “good finds and bargains” and had learned to shop secondhand with their older family members.

For many, charity shopping had become a hobby to participate in with others, where shoppers make a day of visiting cafes and exploring secondhand shops along the high street.

Others also recognise the collective value generated by a more circular approach to consumption, including on the high street. Our research found the same; people visit charity shops not just to buy clothes but also “for a blether” (chat) and “local information”.

Consumers are bolstered by this community of charity shop and secondhand site workers, knowing that their decision to shop secondhand is not only better for the environment but is also helping people in their community.

At the end of Buy Now, experts offer advice as to how consumers can work together to overcome the wasteful business models of retailers. This festive season, we have some tips for sharing the joy of secondhand shopping.

• Selling secondhand goods? Learn how to maximise the shopper’s experience by registering for Revolve Reuse Knowledge Hub

• Still got presents to buy? Make Christmas shopping an event by going secondhand treasure-hunting with friends fuelled by festive refreshments

• Already got the perfect present? Share your finds on social media to celebrate secondhand gifts