How is eBay Essential to the Circular Economy and Advancing Environmental Stewardship

This Earth Day, as we reflect on the importance of sustainability and environmental stewardship, it's worth considering how our everyday actions contribute to a healthier planet. At the center of this effort is the circular economy - a model designed to keep products and materials in use for as long as possible, reducing waste and getting more value from what already exists.

eBay plays an active role in supporting a more sustainable marketplace, bringing together a global community of buyers and sellers while advancing our corporate responsibility efforts. We believe progress comes from connecting people with purpose, and our approach to the circular economy reflects that.

From our latest Recommerce Report, which highlights the economic benefits of giving items a second life, to our Climate Transition Plan and Circular Fashion Fund, our work shows how community and sustainability come together in practice.

How does recommerce drive environmental impact?

For three decades, recommerce has been more than just business at eBay; it's a movement we've championed since the very first item sold on our platform, and it remains central to what makes eBay unique. Every day, millions of recommerce transactions take place on eBay, helping keep products in use and out of landfills. This simple exchange plays a meaningful role in reducing waste.

In 2025, our platform created $5.3 billion in positive economic impact for eBay, up $300 million since 2024, while helping to avoid 1.6 million metric tons of carbon emissions and divert 71,000 metric tons of waste. These outcomes reflect a larger trend: more consumers are actively embracing recommerce.

Our latest Recommerce Report highlights how this behavior continues to grow. Gen Z and Millennials are leading the shift, with 59% of Gen Z and 56% of Millennials surveyed planning to increase their spending on pre-loved goods this year. More broadly, 35% of consumers surveyed now buy pre-loved goods monthly or more often, showing how common recommerce has become. In addition, 63% of consumers surveyed consider themselves part of a recommerce community, rising to nearly 80% among Gen Z and Millennials surveyed.

Building on this momentum, recommerce is also shaping culture in powerful ways. At the 2025 Met Gala, Chappell Roan wore a custom, fully upcycled look curated from eBay by designer Paul Tazewell. As an official sponsor of the event, we partnered in this moment to showcase the creative potential of pre-loved fashion.

This growing adoption also drives real environmental impact. As of 2024, pre-loved and refurbished goods have represented more than 40% of eBay's Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV), reflecting the scale of sustainable shopping on our platform.

Our platform also includes a strong market for secondhand technology, where items are refurbished and resold as a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative to buying new. Angie Cardona-Nelson, owner of eWaste Direct, is one example. Through her eBay business, she has helped keep over seven million pounds of e-waste out of landfills, shifting from earning 80% of her revenue from recycling to more than 80% from refurbished tech resale since 2008.

How is eBay's circular fashion fund cultivating innovation?

Beyond our core marketplace, we're investing in ways to expand circularity across industries.

Our Circular Fashion Fund supports entrepreneurs and businesses developing solutions to make fashion more circular: helping extend product life, keep materials in use, and reduce waste. The program reflects our corporate responsibility efforts, our commitment to supporting innovation, and the growing demand for more sustainable options.

One example is Refiberd, a California-based company using AI to identify fiber composition in garments. This enables more precise sorting for textile recycling. In 2025, Refiberd was named the Global Winner of the Circular Fashion Fund and received an additional $300,000 investment from eBay Ventures to support its growth.

Since launching in 2022, the fund has supported more than 25 businesses with funding and mentorship, while also helping them connect with the partners and networks they need to grow. Earlier this year we expanded the program and accepted applications from businesses and startups across the EU, Switzerland, and Canada for the first time. eBay's total funding through the program is expected to reach $1.9 million by the end of 2026.

What is eBay's Climate Transition Plan?

Our Climate Transition Plan outlines our path to net-zero emissions by 2045, aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). This includes a goal to reduce emissions across our entire value chain by 90% by 2045.

The near-term goal was to, by 2030, reduce emissions from our operations (Scope 1) and our purchased energy (Scope 2) by 90% compared to our 2019 baseline, and reduce Scope 3 emissions from downstream transportation and distribution by 27.5%. And we've already made meaningful progress. We have also supported our operations with 100% renewable energy since 2024 and maintain that 100% today, even as our business continues to grow. We've also assessed how climate-driven shifts in weather patterns and global markets may impact our business over the short, medium, and long term - using these insights to strengthen our resilience and support long-term, sustainable value.

How is eBay creating a sustainable future?

This Earth Day, we're proud to be highlighting the progress we've made toward a more sustainable future. From our Recommerce Report to our Circular Fashion Fund and the recent development of our Climate Transition Plan, our work demonstrates that community-driven commerce and responsible business practices can thrive together.

We're encouraged by the role our global community continues to play. By choosing to buy, sell, and reuse, eBay customers can help extend the life of products and reduce waste - one item at a time.