First aid for second-hand shopping: Google Lens. Most people know this handy app for identifying plants, animals or buildings, but Google Lens is also an incredibly useful helper when second-hand shopping. With a simple photo or screenshot, you can often check whether a seemingly special find is actually nothing more than a Chinese ultra fast fashion item being resold at far too high a price. That can not only save you from a bad buy, but also helps you to make more conscious choices. Those second-hand items that were once bought directly via Chinese webshops are by no means always produced in a sustainable or fair way and, what is more, do not always comply with European safety regulations. Phew.
How to use Google Lens while thrift shopping
Using Google Lens while second-hand shopping is a breeze. Open the Google app on your phone. On the right-hand side of the search bar, where you normally type a search query, you will see a small photo icon. Tap that and take a photo of the item you want to check. Have you already taken the photo? Then you can also just open it from your photo gallery in Google Lens. Are you in a shop? Then don't just take a photo of the item itself, but also of the brand, the label and other striking details. Are you shopping online, for example on Vinted or Marktplaats? Then take a screenshot of the listing. Google Lens will then search for similar or even exact same products. This quickly gives you a better idea of a product's origin and you can often also see where else it is sold. Can't find the icon? Then search for Google Lens on Google and you will also find this feature.
First aid for second-hand shopping
Don’t get us wrong: a product made in China isn’t necessarily a bad product. Lots of well-known brands have their goods manufactured there, and these simply have to comply with European regulations. It’s mainly the dirt-cheap products bought directly from online shops such as Temu, SHEIN or AliExpress – and which then end up on Vinted or in charity shops – that you should be a bit more critical of. It is precisely on these kinds of online shops that products are still regularly found which do not meet European safety regulations or contain excessive levels of harmful substances. For example, a test by the Dutch Consumers’ Association revealed that 70% of the products examined did not meet European safety standards. One in four products was even immediately dangerous. Would you like to know more about this? Here you can find more about toxic items via Chinese webshops.
Such a quick check can also be clever for the environment. These kinds of products are often made as cheaply as possible. You can sometimes see that in the quality, but also in the materials used. Take synthetic clothing, for example. Cheaper fabrics often shed plastic fibres more quickly than better quality synthetic clothing. Those fibres eventually end up as microplastics in our environment. And yes, inside you too. We previously wrote an extensive article about inhaling microplastics via your clothing.
Also interesting: toxic fast fashion clothing.
Google Lens makes second-hand shopping smarter
As far as we are concerned, second-hand shopping remains one of the most enjoyable and sustainable ways to buy something new. However, because more and more products from ultra-fast-fashion webshops are also ending up in the second-hand circuit, it is sometimes harder to fish out the real gems. Fortunately, Google Lens gives you a helping hand. With a quick photo or screenshot, you can often see within a few seconds whether you are holding a unique find or a product that is sold everywhere online. So it is worth checking. That takes almost no time and can save you a bad buy! Happy thrifting!
Source: Consumer Association. Photo credits: Mart Production, Pexels.
