Second hand economy on the rise, Alberta second highest in Canada

Those trips to the donation boxes are starting to show; nearly 85% of Canadians engaged in a second-hand transaction last year, according to the Kijiji Second Hand Economy Index.

The index tracks the state of Canada’s second-hand market based on giving objects a “second life” through swaps, rentals, donations, online purchases, or in-person purchase. This year marked a 1-point increase from last year’s index, which – while small – actually accounted for 24.9 million more objects than last year, for a total of 1.85 billion objects.

In the breakdown by province, Alberta ranked second highest with an “intensity index” of 81.9. On average, Calgarians gave a second life to 60.3 objects per person, with the highest coming through donations at 21.8 items. Edmonton ranked as the most likely city to get rid of objects, at 48 items on average, while Vancouver ranked highest in item intake at 42 items each.

For more information, and to read the full report, visit Kijiji’s Second Hand Economy website.