Reusing Before Recycling: Growing Used Goods Market

By Chung Hyunhwa

I truly think the Danggeun app, known internationally as Karrot, should receive a Most Environmental App Award. It is a used- goods market app that almost everybody uses now after its launch in 2015. I read that it had financial difficulties until 2023 because it is a free app. It survived, though. Not only did it survive, but it is now running in the U.K., Canada, Japan, and the U.S. as well. It is loved by people because it shows the items near you, as its name means “Near You Market” (당신의 근처 마켓), so it was a paradigm change. Before, people would have to stop by the used goods shops one by one, not knowing what they may encounter, or search on nationwide online used-goods markets. But it was hard to find things near you. The Danggeun app successfully scratched people’s itchy spot.

Not only is it convenient and efficient, it is also quite environmental. It tremendously improves the reuse of goods and saves energy that would be needed for traveling. On the app, you can find almost anything. It is a virtual flea market where things are “a click away.” On the app, people can easily find things that are in decent shape and at very low prices. They can sell anything or share things that they do not need any longer. It has saved a lot of usable things from going to the landfill or the incinerator. I really think Danggeun deserves to receive a big applause for that.

From the perspective of carbon reduction, reusing is much more effective than recycling. Until 2010, all the domestically produced soju brands as well as the beer brands had the same bottle designs, allowing them to reused each other’s bottles. Therefore, the bottles were repeatedly used at least 7 to 10 times without much effort. Now, due to the competition, the bottles come in many different designs, which may be pleasing for the consumers, but it certainly makes the reuse of the bottles much less efficient. As you can imagine, it takes money and carbon to produce bottles, and that means we eventually pay for the designs, too.

“For a person who once wanted to become a fashion designer, this is heaven!”

How about going back to previous times? It may be good for us in times of inflation and carbon net-zero needs.

What I noticed lately is that there are many more vintage shops than before as shown in the map. I have watched documentaries and written about clothes sent from Korea to Africa that ended up becoming trash and creating pollution there. The increase in the number of used-clothes shops is a positive thing. I think it is evidence that more people are paying attention to the clothes trash issue. Smart consumers know how many good clothes that are almost new are being thrown away and choose to find treasure from those shops. The prices are irresistibly low compared to new clothes, so they know that it is good for their pockets as well.

The used clothes in the market consist of imported clothes and domestically collected items as well. Because these clothes are imported in containers at a very low cost, the best items are selected at the port, and these clothes come into the market. The rest may go to other countries at an even lower cost. The domestically collected items are from the clothes donation boxes at almost every street corner.

I am surprised by the low prices and decent quality of clothes at vintage shops. I used to buy basic items only, so I could wear them no matter what fashion trends arrived. But at the vintage shop, the low prices make me more daring to choose items beyond basic. Since some items are from other countries, you can discover unique finds. For a person who once wanted to become a fashion designer, this is heaven!

For our expat friends who may stay in Korea for a fairly short time, these shops certainly are reasonable places to check out. For these reasons, there are many used-clothes shops in Wolgok- dong in Gwangsan District, where a lot of foreigners live. Also, near the Asia Cultural Center downtown, quite a few are scattered around Chungjang Street and in the nearby Geumnam- ro Underground Shopping Center. Tokyo Juice shops are well known, and there are many more. I also go to Jaco Vintage near Lotte Department Store. Searching on a digital map for “vintage” (빈티지 or 구제) and checking the places near you is highly recommended for treasure hunting.

Vintage shops have fitting rooms, so you can take time to find what absolutely suits you. What I also like about going to vintage shops is that what these places carry are free of the harmful chemical smell of new clothes. So, you do not have to wash the clothes after purchasing them, which is an important reason for me to shop there. I love the fact that we can spend less money to become more environmental and healthier!

Another type of shop that is worth mentioning are Beautiful Stores (아름다운 가게). They are a nationwide NGO, and there are a few in Gwangju as well. These stores actively take donated used/new clothes and various other items. The donation is calculated into a monetary amount and reported to the tax office for donation, and it works for lowering your tax payment. So, try taking your unneeded clothes and miscellaneous household items to a Beautiful Store and feel good about yourself for donating them. The workers there are all volunteering their time, and the money goes to public campaigns, social enterprises, and environmental issues.

When I was little, a lot of people used goods until they could no longer be used. People wore clothes until they were worn out. Now, I hear Zara, H&M, and other low-price clothes businesses are hot because of Instagram. It is convenient to order clothes online by making just a few clicks on the phone and there are even apps that sell used designers’ clothes, but how about trying on some clothes at the vintage shops near you first? You will have pleasant surprises, realize happiness is not directly proportional to the sum money, and you can also do something towards achieving carbon net zero.