Luckily my kids, who are super tall and still growing, have not outgrown their winter coats from last year, so I haven't had to go coat shopping recently. But if you or members of your family are in the market for a "new" coat or other outdoor gear, and don't have any luck finding the right size at your local thrift shop, you might consider buying a refurbished item.
Working on sustainable electronics related projects for my day job over the past several years, I'm used to explaining the term "refurbished" as it relates to electronics. Refurbished electronics, such as my own refurbished laptop, are typically items that have been returned for some reason to a manufacturer or vendor. They may not have been used and are therefore essentially new, or the may have had some defect. Not all refurbished items are returned by customers; sometimes they're items that simply weren't sold, or no longer being pushed to vendors because a new product has been released. Sometimes they are functional items or those with minor performance issues that have been collected via a recycling program by an IT asset management firm. Whatever the case, they are repaired if necessary, and tested for proper functionality to meet original factory specifications before they are resold. That's what sets a refurbished electronic device apart from something is simply used. There's a quality control factor that gives you more peace of mind that you could hope for by shopping for a cheap device on eBay or Craigslist. Because refurbished items are not new--even if they never were actually used by a consumer--they cannot be sold as new despite being assured of functioning like a brand new item. Thus, they tend to be sold a discounts. I'm always advising people to check for refurbished options when they need to buy a device because it saves money and keeps products in service for longer, thus saving the resources invested in manufacturing.
Similarly, refurbished clothing is that which has been collected and repaired so it meets the standards of new items. Patagonia has long offered a clothing repair service to its customers, as well as repair and care guides on its web site. In April 2017, they launched a take back service, providing store credit in exchange for unwanted Patagonia clothing turned in at their retail locations. Items that can be repaired are, and those items are resold through the company's Worn Wear line at discounted prices. Note that the Worn Wear line includes all sorts of clothing, not just coats and other outerwear.
In the summer of 2018, The North Face followed suit and launched its The North Face Renewed product line, comprised of refurbished clothing from returns or defects. Again, discounted prices are a bonus for doing your part to extend product life cycles.
Considering the fact that 85% of textiles end up in landfills, any program that facilitates the repair and reuse of clothing is a great idea in my book. As you shop for holiday gifts or in general seek to keep yourself and loved ones warm this winter, shopping for refurbished clothes can be a great idea for your pocketbook too.
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