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better than new

Make your next buy better than new

We're adding the fun factor back into shopping by embracing a better way to buy. Together, we can make a difference by choosing pre-loved and refurbished finds that benefit the planet and your pocket. Let’s pass on the love and keep the stories going.

Here’s how you made a difference this year

  • Total
  • Fashion
  • Tech
  • Home
  • Motors

  • Pulling the brakes on waste

    Did you know that over 20 million kg of waste was avoided through customers buying pre-loved and refurbished on eBay? Ready to be even more shocked? That’s equivalent to the weight of over 9,200 black cabs! Also, over 400,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were mitigated, equating to taking almost 240,000 cars off the road for a year.

  • Helping the planet never goes out of style

    Thanks to our pre-loved fashion buyers, almost 2 million kg of waste was reduced, in other words, the weight of almost 5 million shirts. We also avoided almost 60,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e), swerving the equivalent of over 64,000 return flights between New York and London.

    Shop pre-loved fashion

  • Giving tech a new lease of life

    Thanks to the sheer amount of Refurbished & used tech bought on eBay, over 250,000 tonnes of GHG emissions were saved from being released into the atmosphere, including over 13,000 on Refurbished. The total is equivalent to saving over 4 million new phones being made. Plus over 2.8 million kg of waste was avoided, equivalent to over 23.5 million phones being spared from landfill.

    Shop refurbished

  • Bringing past loves to a new home

    Not only do vintage items add character to a space, but they're also good for the planet. By buying refurb, used or vintage, over 6.5 million kg of waste was avoided—that's equivalent to over 500 double-decker buses. As well as almost 30,000 tonnes of emissions avoided, which is 5,800 home's electricity use for a year!

    Shop better than new home

  • A greener way of gearing up

    Recycled, refurbished and used finds saved the equivalent of almost 4,000 Formula 1 cars worth of waste—over 3 million kg! The impact didn’t stop there with over 20,000 tonnes of emissions cut, worth over 11,000 long-haul flights from London to Sydney.

    Shop Certified Recycled

Tips to buy better than new on eBay

  • Think pre-loved or refurbished first

    Before you make your next buy, consider trying pre-loved or refurbished first. You'll be surprised how many finds you can get for less on eBay!

  • Get creative and refine your search terms

    Play around with keywords and experiment with search filters like price, brands, conditions and more.

  • Don’t be afraid to ask for more information

    Our sellers are a friendly bunch! If you want to know more about an item, feel free to ask for more details or photos.

  • Stay in the loop with notifications

    Don’t miss a thing and set up eBay alerts for items you’ve got your eyes on, so you’ll be the first to know when a listing hits your criteria.

More ways to do your part

  • Repair and care

    If you have a fixer-upper on your hands, learn how to spruce it up and continue to use it. Sometimes it just needs a stitch, a splash of paint or some TLC.

  • Upcycle and reupholster

    Continue the love and transform your items into something new. Whether that’s changing the fabric on a cushion or upgrading an old table.

  • Sell your past loves

    Pass on your unwanted items on eBay, and give them a chance to be rehomed rather than being sent to a landfill.

    Start selling

Meet the sellers supporting better than new

  • Tammie’s story

    “My husband and I have always had a passion for high-quality vintage, retro and antique items. Often these items are built from better quality materials than modern alternatives ⁠—the skills used to craft these items should be treasured and appreciated.

    That’s why we’ve spent a lot of time restoring these items so that they can be saved and continue to serve their purpose and enhance people’s homes. When you buy second-hand items online, make sure you always study photos carefully and ask questions about condition and restoration.”

    Visit store

  • Nikki’s story

    “My business is my passion, and I look forward to working every day, thanks to the amazing people that work with me. Sustainability is the core principle of our fashion business.

    We believe that buying second-hand is just as exciting as buying brand-new, but it’s a more planet-friendly choice. Simply a win-win situation for our customers! One of the things I am most proud of is that my daughters have learned the value of passing on items. I think that we all need to be more conscious consumers.”

    Visit store

How we source our data

The full report can be found in our Methodology to Calculate the Environmental and Financial Benefits of Recommerce.

  1. eBay took the next steps to further understand the environmental and financial savings associated with selling recommerce (used and refurbished) on the eBay marketplace.
  2. By mapping the weights and impacts of products for five different product categories (Electronics, Fashion, Lifestyle, and Parts & Accessories), we are able to calculate the avoided carbon emissions, avoided waste and financial savings for recommerce items sold on the marketplace.
  3. There is an environmental benefit from the reuse of a product because the extraction of raw materials, production, processing and upstream transport of the equivalent new product are no longer required.
  4. By using this data, eBay calculates the avoided carbon emissions, avoided waste and financial benefits of the sale of used and refurbished products on an annual basis and publishes the results in our Impact Report.

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