Heleen van der Ploeg was shocked when she visited an American clothing outlet in 2016. Thousands of racks full of trousers, shirts and dresses, never all of which are sold. Since then, she decided to only buy second-hand clothes. Her discovery of a very expensive designer blouse proves that it is not an old mess with holes and smelling of mothballs.
Heleen found the second-hand Gucci silk blouse in a shop frequented by many embassy personnel. The previous owner may have paid about a thousand euros for it. For the sustainability program Pak An Groen, Heleen takes reporter Isabella Prins to her favorite second-hand shop on the Ceintuurbaan in Amsterdam. She always succeeds here.
When asked if she is not limiting herself with all those hundreds of clothing stores in Amsterdam, she replies that there is much of the same and that they are often poorly produced pieces made of poor materials. Her choice for second-hand is not only sustainable, but also a lot cheaper.
Grab an Green
More and more North Hollanders are taking action to tackle climate change. Residents change their lifestyle, buy responsibly and insulate their homes. Entrepreneurs see opportunities and break new ground with sustainable products and services. You can see it on TV every Tuesday in the program Pak An Groen.
Comment? Send an e-mail to [email protected]