Cheap, unique and environmentally friendly

The circular economy is the way to a more sustainable use of resources, the sale and purchase of second-hand clothing is an essential element of that concept

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Some do not like to carry "other people's energy", others find unique things among second-hand things, Photo: Shutterstock
Some do not like to carry "other people's energy", others find unique things among second-hand things, Photo: Shutterstock
Disclaimer: The translations are mostly done through AI translator and might not be 100% accurate.

When, less than five years ago, they were thinking about how and in which sector to start a family business, Vanja i Nikola Pelević they knew that he, above all, had to be "green". Young entrepreneurs from Cetinje registered a company at the end of 2016, and a few months later launched an online store for second-hand clothing.

The sale of second-hand clothes and shoes in Montenegro is not new, but this is the first and so far the only such store on the Internet.

"Second hand on the Internet seemed to us to be the right way, where we would combine modern sales channels with circular fashion," executive director Vanja Pelević told "Vijesti".

"Vijesti" also contacted other second-hand clothing dealers, but they either did not respond or were unwilling to speak to the media.

It took them six months to start a business - from registering the company, through establishing contacts and lines with suppliers and designing an internet platform.

The Pelevićs say that they purchase products exclusively from the countries of the European Union and NATO, and emphasize that they had no financial support when starting the business: "We financed everything from our own funds, we started with very small investments and gradually increased".

Vanja and Nikola Pelević
Vanja and Nikola Pelevićphoto: Private archive

Every year, as shown by the data from the website of the Revenue and Customs Administration, they submit financial reports, which show the gradual growth of work that young people from Cetinje have entered.

Last year was marked by the coronavirus pandemic, which in Montenegro led to the closure of, among other things, cafes and boutiques for several months. While the pandemic dealt a blow to many more experienced entrepreneurs, Pelević's business even recorded a double-digit growth in sales - 18 percent:

"The business itself did not have the intention and the goal of some big business results, nevertheless, gradually, the site gained importance in Montenegro, and recorded an increasing number of visits".

The textile industry is at the top in terms of greenhouse gas emissions

Until recently, the regional and European public did not pay much attention to the negative effects of mass production of clothing and footwear. The European Commission (EC) warns that after food, housing and transport, textiles are the fourth most intensive category when it comes to the use of primary raw materials and water, and the fifth when it comes to emissions of gases that cause the greenhouse effect.

The European Parliament points out that even 60 percent of clothing in the EU is not produced in the member countries, that despite increased environmental awareness, the average European still buys 26 kilograms of textiles every year and throws away 11 kilograms, that a smaller percentage of used clothing is exported, but the largest part, 87 percent, ends up in landfills or incinerators. Globally, less than one percent of manufactured textiles are recycled into new textiles.

clothing graphics
photo: Jasna Kalač

In the context of the complexity of the textile value chain, in order to face the challenges, the EC has proposed a comprehensive EU strategy for textiles, which will, among other things, seek to boost the EU market for sustainable and circular textile products, including the market for reuse, as well as to solve the problem of fast fashion and encourage new business models.

Circular economy, the way to a more sustainable use of resources

In order to stimulate economic growth and social progress, while preserving a healthy and clean environment, at the end of 2015, the EU introduced the novel into the legal framework and allocated huge resources to modernize the economy, strengthen its stability and competitiveness, and create new jobs.

At the end of 2019, the European Green Deal was presented - a road map with activities to strengthen the efficient use of resources by switching to a clean, circular economy and stopping climate change, reversing the loss of biodiversity and reducing pollution.

Last year, the Action Plan for the circular economy was presented with three main goals: to strengthen the competitiveness of European industry, empower consumers and protect the environment. That plan focuses on the sectors that use the most resources and the areas where the circular economy will have the greatest effect and includes electronics, plastics, batteries, vehicles, food, water and - textiles.

"We want to turn those sectors into circular systems where waste is minimized. If waste cannot be avoided, it must be turned into a valuable resource", the EC notes, adding that the EU Strategy for Sustainable Textiles is also being developed, for which public consultations ended on August 4.

From Brussels, they do not have data on the value of the market specifically for second-hand clothing, and the data they have, according to the source of "Vijesti" from the EC, is mainly based on the reports they receive from individual member states. The source adds that the rate of use of second-hand goods is high in the Baltic countries, where it is mainly second-hand clothes imported from other parts of Europe, and in Denmark, where domestic textiles are mostly reused.

"The consumption of used textiles constitutes a significant share of the total consumption in the clothing and domestic textiles sector in Latvia (29%), Lithuania (29%), Estonia (16%) and Denmark (13%)," said the source of "Vijesti" from Brussels.

The overarching goal of the European Green Plan is for the EU to become the world's first climate-neutral bloc by 2050 and implies more active action in a number of different sectors, including this part. Montenegro is not a member of the EU, but this new framework also concerns it.

Sanja Besovic from the Ministry of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism says that the idea is to review every existing law on climate values, and also to lay firmer foundations for the circular economy with the new legislation. He also reminds that in October 2020, on the occasion of the Berlin Process summit in Sofia, the governments of the Western Balkans committed themselves to the "Green Agenda for the Western Balkans" as a concrete plan for expanding the European Green Deal to Southeastern Europe.

"The Green Agenda for the Western Balkans is a new strategy for the growth of this region, which moves from the traditional model to a sustainable economy, in accordance with the European Green Plan," she told "Vijesti".

Between prejudices and lovers of unique things

According to the data of the Statistical Office of Montenegro (Monstat), in 2020, EUR 66,5 million worth of clothing and footwear worth EUR 29,8 million were imported. There is no official data on the amount of used goods. That the business opportunities are actually enormous is shown by the example of the association of the Lithuanian Vindet and the Dutch United Wardrobe, which have a base of 34 million buyers and sellers of used clothes and shoes in 11 European countries.

"Vijesti" interlocutors point out that in Montenegro, however, there is "weaker awareness of the importance of the 'second hand' industry".

"And the wrong perception about that wardrobe in our area slows down progress in a certain domain," says Vanja Pelević.

In the discussion that the authors of the text started on social networks, some of the participants state that they do not know that there are such stores in Montenegro as the reasons why they do not buy used clothing, those who know about such stores, but do not shop in them, claim that is a poor choice of wardrobe, while some even state that they are put off by the fact that they don't like to wear "other people's things and energy".

Several representatives of the non-governmental sector who participated in the discussion mentioned sustainable development as one of the main reasons why they often go to second-hand clothing stores.

"Two years ago, I stopped supporting the hyper production of clothing, because the fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters of the planet, because it is exploitative when it comes to labor, because most of their factories are located in very poor places where the labor is paid below average even for that area! At the same time, I try to live as authentically as possible myself as a fighter for human rights, but also as a creative person who loves fashion and enjoys finding forgotten patterns, cuts and materials", she said. Hana Konatar from the LGBT organization Spektra.

Executive director of the Safe Women's House Ljiljana Raicevic says that you can find unique items in second-hand clothing stores: "There are some with a label. Women are prejudiced”.

The director of the Center for Investigative Journalism of Montenegro (CIN CG) has been buying used wardrobes for a long time. Milka Tadic Mijović: "I have been buying for a long time for several reasons. First, because this is how I support sustainable development; secondly, because there are wonderful, original things, and lastly, because it is rational, I can find great pieces of furniture, dishes, wardrobe that I would not otherwise be able to afford, at reasonable prices."

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