Circular Economy: Exploring the Adoption of Second-Hand Items on Peer-to-Peer E-Commerce Platforms in Nigeria

Öz

The rising global emphasis on sustainability has brought the circular economy model into sharp focus, promoting reuse, recycling, and resource regeneration to reduce waste and environmental harm. This study investigates the adoption of second-hand items on peer-to-peer (P2P) e-commerce platforms in Nigeria as a means of entrenching circular economy practices. Specifically, it explores demographic influences and consumer motivations shaping recommerce, a growing trend of reselling pre-loved items online. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected from 500 respondents via structured questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistics, including chi-square tests, were employed to analyze the relationship between demographic variables and second-hand item adoption, and to determine whether factors such as environmental awareness, perceived value, trust, and social reasons significantly influence adoption decisions. The findings offer practical insights for e-commerce platform designers, policymakers, and sustainability advocates. By targeting key demographic groups and emphasizing platform-wide values such as affordability, trust, and eco-consciousness, recommerce platforms in Nigeria can scale adoption and contribute meaningfully to circular economy goals. The study underscores the untapped potential of P2P e-commerce in Nigeria as a catalyst for sustainable consumption and waste reduction.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Circular economy
• Recommerce
• Second-hand items
• Peer-to-peer (P2P) e-commerce

Kaynakça

1. Arman, S. M., & Mark-Herbert, C. (2021). Re-commerce to ensure circular economy from consumer perspective. Sustainability, 13(18), 10242. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810242
2. Blomsma, F., & Brennan, G. (2017). The emergence of circular economy: a new framing around prolonging resource productivity. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 21(3), 603–614. http://doi.wiley. com/10.1111/jiec.12603
3. Cervellon, M., Lindley, C. and Trin, H. (2012). Determinants of women's purchase of vintage fashion vs second‐hand fashion. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 40(12), 956-974. https://doi.org/10.1108/09590551211274946
4. Chahal, M. (2013). The second-hand market: what consumers really want to buy. Marketing Week. Available at: https://www.marketingweek.com/the-second-hand-market-what-consumers-really-want-to-buy/ (Accessed on 03.12.2025)
5. Dragomir, V. D., & Dumitru, M. (2022). Practical solutions for circular business models in the fashion industry. Cleaner Logistics and Supply Chain, 4, 100040. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clscn.2022.1000 40
6. Farrant, L., Olsen, S. I., & Wangel, A. (2010). Environmental benefits of reusing clothes. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 15(7), 726-736. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-010-0197-y
7. Fatimah, Y. A., Kannan, D., Govindan, K., & Hasibuan, Z. A. (2023). Circular economy e-business model portfolio development for e-business applications: Impacts on ESG and sustainability performance. Journal of Cleaner Production, 415, 137528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137528
8. Gillil, N. (2021). What Is Recommerce and Why Is It Growing in Popularity? Available online: https://econsultancy.com/what-isrecommerce-why-growing-popularity/ (Accessed on 30.05.2025)

9. Haney, A., Krestyaninova, O., & Love, C. (2019). The Circular Economy: Boundaries and Bridges. Saïd Business School. Available at: https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2019-09/the-circular-economy.pdf (Accessed on 31.03.2025).
10. Heshmati, A. (2015). A Review of the Circular Economy and Its Implementation. International Journal of Green Economics, 11(3-4), 251-288. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJGE.2017.089856
11. Jain, A. (2022). The recommerce era - Its now or never for retailers. International Journal for Research Trends and Innovation, 7(8), 1247-1252.
12. Kumar, S. & Malegeant, P. (2006). Strategic alliance in a closed-loop supply chain, a case of a manufacturer and an eco-non-profit organization. Technovation, 26(10), 1127-1135.
13. Li, Q., Wei, W., Xiong, N., Feng, D., Ye, X., & Jiang, Y. (2017). Social Media Research, Human Behavior, and Sustainable Society. Sustainability, 9(3), 384. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9030384
14. McCarthy, A., Dellink, R., & Bibas, R. (2018). The macroeconomics of the circular economy transition: A critical review of modelling approaches. OECD Environment Working Paper No. 130. https://one.oecd.org/document/ENV/WKP(2018)4/en/pdf
15. Murphy, N. (2021). There’s a quiet revolution underway with recommerce. https://www.forbes.com// sites/niallmurphy/2021/02/17/theres-a-quiet-revolution-underway-with-recommerce/?sh=60d369 d35bfc (Accessed on 06.03.2024)
16. Ohaha, V. (2022). How Nigeria’s rising resale market could be holding the keys to true sustainability. Industrie Africa. https://industrieafrica.com/perspectives/articles/report-how-nigerias-rising-resale-market-could-be-holding-the-keys-to-true-sustainability?srsltid=AfmBOoqX963xnUbjq1ER_Eqmm PNegy47sv9P5IL5LOe6_3VvACqqU159 (Accessed on 12.03.2025)
17. Okojie, J. and Olatunji, E. (2023). Nigeria’s surging inflation fuels a boom in second-hand shopping. https://businessday.ng/business-economy/article/nigerias-surging-inflation-fuels-boom-in-second-hand-shopping/ (Accessed on 14.01.2025)
18. Otekenari, D.E. (2020). Moving Beyond Take-Make-Dispose to Take-Make-Use for Sustainable Economy. International Journal of Scientific Research in Education, 13(3), 497-516.
19. Oyebamiji, A.U. (2024). Using Fashion and Art in Nigeria to Encourage Waste Reduction and Sustainability. https://susafrica.com/2023/04/23/using-fashion-and-art-in-nigeria-to-encourage-waste-reduction-and-sustainability/ (Accessed on 04.03.2024)
20. Peake, L. and Brandmayr, C. (2019). Building a circular economy: how a new approach to infrastructure can end waste. Green Alliance. https://green-alliance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Building _a_circular_economy.pdf (Accessed on 15.02.2025)
21. Roux, D. & Guiot, D. (2008). Measuring Second-Hand Shopping Motives, Antecedents and Consequences. Recherche et Applications en Marketing, 23(4), 63-91. https://doi.org/10.1177/ 205157070802300404
22. Sewenet, A.D., Boulaksil, Y., & Pisano, P. (2026). Circular economy, circularity, and sustainability: A systematic review and conceptual framework, Cleaner Environmental Systems, 20, 100405. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cesys.2026.100405
23. Statista (2023). Second-hand e-commerce in the Nordics. Available from: https://www.statista.com/ study/133047/second-hand-e-commerce-in-thenordics/ (Accessed on 24.10.2025)
24. Sodnik, J., Dicke, C., Tomazic, S., & Billinghurst, M. (2008). A User study of auditory versus visual interfaces for use while driving. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 66(5), 318-332.
25. Turunen, L. L. M., Gossen, M. (2024). From preloved to reloved: How second-hand clothing companies facilitate the transaction of used garments. Journal of Sustainable Research, 6(1), e240002. https://doi.org/10.20900/jsr20240002