Project description
Rethinking ultra-fast fashion’s impact on charity second-hand systems
The rise of ultra-fast fashion and resale sites is affecting the entire second-hand clothing industry. It also puts pressure on charities that depend on the flow of clothes not only to make an environmental difference but also to raise money. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the RETHREAD project is exploring how the shift in the fashion and resale industry affects the revenue of charities, consumer habits, and the flows, quality and quantity of clothes donations. The project will help develop a map of the European system of second-hand apparel, conducting market analyses as well as surveys and interviews. The findings will be used to provide evidence-based recommendations to address textile waste and support second-hand markets..
Objective
The project RETHREAD (REthinking The Humanitarian Resale Ecosystem for Apparel Donations) examines how charities in the second-hand clothing sector are affected by ultra-fast fashion (UFF) and peer-to-peer (P2P) resale platforms. Second-hand sales have long delivered environmental benefits and vital funding for charities, but these activities are now threatened by the influx of low-quality garments, competition from P2P platforms, and new regulations banning the destruction of unsold inventory, which risk overwhelming charities with unsellable stock.
RETHREAD pursues three objectives: (1) map the European post-consumer apparel ecosystem, identifying actors, flows, and leverage points for intervention; (2) assess how P2P resale and UFF affect charity revenues and consumer behavior, including rebound effects; and (3) evaluate the operational consequences of unsold inventory donation mandates on charities, product quality, and competitive dynamics.
The project applies a multi-method approach, combining durable goods modeling with analysis of a unique dataset from the online resale platform of a major French charity. This is complemented by stakeholder interviews, consumer surveys, and European policy reports. Integrating operations management, behavioral economics, non-profit operations, and policy analysis, the research links empirical evidence with formal modeling and scenario analysis. Expected outputs include academic publications, decision-support tools for charities, and an innovative interactive policy brief.
By advancing knowledge on secondary markets and non-profit operations, RETHREAD directly supports Horizon Europe’s goals on sustainability, circular economy, and social inclusion, strengthening the resilience of charities as key social actors and providing regulators with evidence for socially responsible circular economy policies.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
31080 Pamplona
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.