2023-12-16 16:55:06
The colorful shelves of the Ressourcerie de Malakoff, in Hauts-de-Seine, are always full. Buyers and curious people make their way through the displays of crockery, trinkets and clothing. As the end-of-year holidays approach, numerous donations have enabled the association which manages the place to stock up on toys and games. Only when asked if she plans to do her Christmas shopping among these second-hand items, Houria, who volunteers on site, exclaims: ” No ! It wouldn’t occur to me. » And to add, with a guilty smile on his lips: “I wouldn’t like to receive a second-hand gift at Christmas. For me, it’s better to offer something new.»
Same feeling with Maëlys, psychologist and young mother who came to find toys for her son. “I have no problem buying second-hand items, but when it’s to give to others, it bothers me. I wouldn’t want to come across as a cheapskate! »
Take care of your wallet and the environment
Where does this reluctance to slip the second hand under the tree come from? In France, making purchases in thrift stores, recycling centers or online resale platforms has become common practice. One in two people say they have gotten into the habit of purchasing second-hand or reconditioned products over the past year, according to an OpinionWay barometer from July 2023. Whether for economic reasons – with particularly low prices attractive in this period of inflation – or ecological – to combat overconsumption and limit waste – there is something for everyone.
Second hand therefore seems to be the perfect solution to protect your wallet and preserve the environment during the Christmas period. However, only 24% of French people bought second-hand or repackaged gifts for New Year’s Eve last year, according to a report from the Society and Consumption Observatory (Obsoco). According to its general director Guénaëlle Gault, this is due to the symbolism of the gift. “A gift says something about the value of the relationship you have with the person you are giving it to ”, she notes. In short, let’s see what you offer me and I will understand what consideration or affection you have for me…
This value can be monetary. The giver will then estimate that the value of the relationship is measured by the price of the gift. Buying second hand to save money, in this case, seems inadequate: “We are afraid that people will think that we are devaluing the relationship, that we are, indirectly, saving money on it. » In other words, the risk, real or supposed, is to appear as a miser of both money and feelings.
And if we consider offering second-hand goods for ecological reasons, Guénaëlle Gault also warns: «Generally speaking, the trap to avoid is to choose a gift that speaks about us, our own concerns, and not about the relationship with the other.. » If the recipient does not share these concerns, he may have the impression, again, of not having been considered, and take umbrage.
A million gifts in the trash
But a present also expresses an emotional value. Aren’t the gifts made by children who put their whole heart into the work the most precious? Taking the time to hunt for a second-hand object, telling its story when you offer it: all of this adds emotional value to the relationship with the person to whom it is offered and receives it. “The logic is not so much to spend money as to offer what mattersestimates Emmanuelle Ledoux, general director of the National Institute of the Circular Economy (Inec). Without anticipating that what will please is necessarily what is new and expensive. »
The Christmas period provides the perfect opportunity to come together to discuss the subject. “We can talk as a family about what makes us happy, what we allow ourselves”suggests Emmanuelle Ledoux. «On the big day, if you offer a second-hand sweater, you have to take responsibility for it! » These prior discussions avoid gifts in the form of unpleasant surprises which will inevitably end up in the trash. Every year, a million unwanted gifts are directly thrown away, according to the Environment and Energy Management Agency (Ademe). “We must focus on the use of the gift, rather than the product itself”continues the general director of Inec.
For those who are still hesitant to take the plunge, the latter recommends a list of second-hand gifts: books, children’s games, sports equipment… Second-hand goods are full of unsuspected treasures. “Several questions may arise: what do I want to offer? Regarding this gift that I want, is there a second-hand option? » With this reasoning, Emmanuelle Ledoux assures us: “More economical solutions are possible, both in terms of financial resources and natural resources. » So, is it hard to give a coat that has already been worn?
#hand #smart #stingy