Gumtree research found that 1 in 2 people want to be more sustainable this year. Looking second-hand first for what you need rather than defaulting to buying new is an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint. Our platform has hundreds of thousands of items for sale in your local area. Whether you’re looking for a washing machines, garden furniture or sports equipment, we’ve got it. And to boost that Good Find feeling when you have what you want, our carbon calculator will tell you how much CO2e would be created to produce the item new.
How does Gumtree’s carbon calculator work?
Our carbon emission saving calculator gives an estimated equivalent figure of the carbon footprint that would be generated if you bought an item new versus buying it preloved.
Importantly, the calculator’s data is taken from the official UK Government analysis of the carbon footprint of UK residents. More details are available to view here.
The statistics are provided using a model developed at the University of Leeds. It calculates the embodied Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) associated with the production of all goods and services consumed in the UK. The model provides a conversion factor to give an understanding of embodied GHG emissions of spending £1 of a product.
The factors are for products supplied for consumption in the UK. However, they do not take account of the emissions relating to the production of products imported for intermediate consumption. For example, products used by UK industries in the process of supplying products for consumption in the UK. The estimates do not incorporate any allowance for emissions relating to the formation of capital assets, whether in the UK or overseas.
Individual product prices are calculated according to research on approximate estimates of average spend on each item in the UK.
What is the carbon footprint of my item?
Our model uses the Government’s conversion factors to find the equivalent carbon footprint of common items. Often it’s easier to think about emissions in terms of daily activities such as heating a home or taking a flight. The images on this page highlight the environmental impact you could have by swapping from buying new to preloved.
*Disclaimer – The data provides an average carbon footprint for the product. It takes into account that there could be any variation within the sector dependent on the specific product or brand. Please note that is a rough indication of the carbon footprint associated with a product.
