Secondhand Stakes: How Used Goods Are Rewriting the Rules of Capitalism and Climate Action

Traditional capitalist systems have been built on linear economic models (i.e., take-make-waste models) that emphasize extraction, production, consumption, and disposal. This model is not only wasteful but also deeply unsustainable in the context of planetary boundaries. With these systems, we are using up the planet’s raw materials so quickly that nature cannot keep up.