Imagine the impact
A founder once told me that if we cannot dream of the impact we can make, we're not thinking big enough.
When you know “Sarah” has 14 jeans, you also know she doesn’t need a new pair.
So I let myself dream. I started imagining. Because imagine if we succeed. What impact could we make in Norway? In Scandinavia? In Europe? In the world?
The fashion industry is one of the largest polluters on the planet. It's drowning us in waste, depleting our resources, and perpetuating a cycle of overproduction and overconsumption that we simply cannot afford.
Our WHY – the reason we built Gemz in the first place – was never “just” about making second-hand easier. It was about making the world a better place.
Read more: Why every parent needs a digital wardrobe
Imagine the impact when we reach 200,000 users?
👕 Less CO2: If every user replaces 10 new clothing purchases with second-hand, we could cut 40,000 tons of CO2 per year – the same as removing 9,000 cars from the roads!
🗑️ Less waste: In Norway, people throw away 23 kg of textiles per year. Extending clothing life by just 10% could prevent 460 tons of waste annually.
💧 Less water use: If each user skips (buying new) 5 t-shirts & 5 jeans, that’s 12.5 billion liters saved yearly – enough drinking water for millions!
💰 More money in families' hands: If each user resells clothes worth 5,000 NOK per year, that creates a 1 billion NOK circular economy – money that stays with families instead of fueling fast fashion.
Read more: What are we making – the Gemz app
Ok … So these are some huge dreams. Huge numbers. But what happens when we reach 1 million users?
Things get truly huge:
200,000 tons of CO2 saved (equivalent to removing roughly 43,478 cars from the roads).
Approximately 2,300 tons of textile waste prevented – keeping over 15 million t-shirts out of landfills.
Around 62.5 billion liters of water saved – enough to hydrate an entire continent.
A circular economy worth 5 billion NOK, where families not only spend but also earn.
“With 1 million users, Gemz could keep over 15 million t-shirts out of landfills.”
At this scale, we’re not merely making an impact – we’re shifting an entire industry.
So, imagine if we succeed?
We’re not just building a business.
We’re transforming how the world thinks about fashion.
We’re challenging overproduction, waste, and mindless consumption – not just in Norway or Scandinavia, but everywhere.
And I truly believe that one day we’ll look back and ask ourselves: How did we ever live any other way?
Imagine the impact.
Be the first to try it – join the waitlist for Gemz!
We’re a startup building the first resale platform made for parents, where selling is as easy as one click and finding what you need is effortless.
💡 No more clutter. No more wasted clothes. Just an easy way to stay in control.
📩 Spots are limited! Sign up for early access today
Lisa Skaar Næss | Founder @Gemz
Sources:Klooster, A., Bellostas, B. C., Henry, M., & Shen, L. (2024). Do We Save the Environment by Buying Second-Hand Clothes? The Environmental Impacts of Second-Hand Textile Fashion and the Influence of Consumer Choices. Retrieved from https://circulareconomyjournal.org/articles/do-we-save-the-environment-by-buying-second-hand-clothes-the-environmental-impacts-of-second-hand-textile-fashion-and-the-influence-of-consumer-choices/Euronews. (2024). Drowning in Fashion: How much water could you save by buying second-hand jeans and T-shirts? Retrieved from https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/09/03/drowning-in-fashion-how-much-water-could-you-save-by-buying-second-hand-jeans-and-t-shirtsInterreg Europe. (2024). Waste Not, Textile Crisis. Retrieved from https://www.interregeurope.eu/policy-learning-platform/news/waste-not-textile-crisisOxfam. (n.d.). The Benefits of Buying Second-Hand. Retrieved from https://www.oxfam.org.uk/oxfam-in-action/oxfam-blog/the-benefits-of-buying-second-hand/U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2023). Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a Typical Passenger Vehicle. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/greenhouse-gas-emissions-typical-passenger-vehicleSpurt.no. (2023). Average CO₂ emissions per vehicle per year. Retrieved from https://spurt.no/gjennomsnittlig-co2-utslipp-for-biler-per-ar/Kings Research. (2024). Secondhand Apparel Market. Retrieved from https://www.kingsresearch.com/secondhand-apparel-market-455Faume. (2024). How Second-Hand and Circular Economy Practices Can Save the Industry and the Planet. Retrieved from https://www.faume.co/en/blog/how-second-hand-and-circular-economy-practices-can-save-the-industry-and-the-planet