Impact and Profit Go Hand-in-Hand, ThredUp Impact Report Finds
Cumulative all-time data revealed that the Oakland, Calif.-based consignment e-tailer has processed 230 million secondhand items, preventing 1.1 billion pounds of CO2e, saving 11.5 billion gallons of water and 2.1 billion kWh of energy.
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In turn, ThredUp saw $260 million in total revenue from continuing operations in 2024.
'What began 16 years ago as a simple belief in a better way to experience fashion has evolved and grown into a powerful, undeniable movement,' said James Reinhart, co-founder and CEO of ThredUp. 'This fourth annual impact report is a testament to our deepening impact, showcasing how our relentless focus on operationalizing circularity at scale is not only helping us expand our vast marketplace, but also shaping the future of fashion for good.'
ThredUp's fourth impact report outlines the resale platform's overall impact, detailing the progress made on key initiatives throughout 2024. Focusing on 12 areas—identified through a materiality assessment as having the best potential for impact—the report's highlights include recirculating 2.3 million secondhand items through ThredUp's Resale-as-a-Service (RaaS) and expanding to 50 brand clients, including Reformation, Torrid, Madewell, Gap and Athleta.
'At our core, we are relentlessly focused on operationalizing circularity at scale because we know that's how we most effectively combat the fashion waste crisis,' the report reads. 'Our industry-leading RaaS platform empowers even more brands to launch their own resale programs, keeping countless items in circulation and out of landfills.'
ThredUp diverted 100 percent of the items it didn't resell to its 'Rescues' and aftermarket programs. Throughout 2024, ThredUp sold 771,043 items through the marketplace's rescues channel—reaching a total of 6.3 million items sold to date. Of the items that don't meet the group's quality standard for direct resale or inclusion in the Rescue program, 49 percent are sold to domestic thrift stores, 33 percent are sold to international brokers and 19 percent are sold to domestic graders and sorters.
'Every day we make it easier for people to buy and sell secondhand—that matters. The bigger we get, the more we can shrink fashion's footprint. The unsung hero in all this? Our distribution centers,' Al Ghorai, ThredUp's senior vice president of operations, said. 'The work we've done to simplify processes, increase throughput and improve quality doesn't just make the customer experience better—it cuts waste, saves time and drives environmental gains. Operational efficiency isn't just good business—it's good for the planet.'
In partnership with sustainable home building supplier The Azek Company, ThredUp recycled 182,400 pounds of materials in 2024—a 62.9-percent increase from 2023—turning 100 percent of Clean Out bags into TimberTech composite decking.
'ThredUp demonstrates that mission-oriented businesses can be highly successful,' Alon Rotem, ThredUp's chief strategy officer and chief legal officer, said. 'Our strategic focus on building a robust and scalable platform for secondhand fashion has allowed us to grow our business while maintaining our integrity, proving that impact and profit can go hand-in-hand.'
On the advocacy front, ThredUp significantly expanded its commitment to policy in 2024, working to actively drive circularity across the country.
'In recent years, our commitment to a more sustainable future for fashion has included the critical realm of policy and advocacy,' Reinhart and Chris Homer, ThredUp's co-founder and COO, wrote in the report. 'We've been at the forefront of shaping federal and state legislation that will accelerate the industry's essential transition to circularity.'
The group co-authored the Americas Act, a proposed federal bill designed to strengthen U.S. trade relations and include over $14 billion in incentives for circular fashion and textile recycling sectors. ThredUp's partnership with members of American Circular Textiles (ACT), meanwhile, launched the Sales and Use Tax petition to oppose the double taxation of secondhand goods.
The company also endorsed the New York Fashion Act legislation that would require large fashion companies to conduct due diligence and disclose their environmental and social impacts. Last June, the group participated in the launch of the Slow Fashion Caucus, where Rotem delivered remarks on the 'critical need for public policy' to fast-track the transition to a sustainable fashion future.
'We believe ethical and responsible leadership, grounded in strong governance, is essential to ThredUp's vision for a sustainable future,' said Patricia Nakache, ThredUp's chairperson of the board, chair of the nominating and ESG committee. 'We're committed to embedding our values and ESG principles into our approach in a way that fosters resilient growth and ultimately accelerates the transition to a more circular economy.'
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