Levi's is jumping into the $32 billion resale market with its own program for worn jeans and jackets

• This week, Levi's is launching a program called Levi's SecondHand, allowing shoppers to buy pre-owned jeans and jackets and turn in their own used items for a credit.
• The idea is "all about connecting people to timeless styles they otherwise may not have found, and most importantly, saving clothing from going into a landfill," according to the Levi's SecondHand site.
• The resale market is exploding. According to research from ThredUp and GlobalData Retail, the resale market is expected to rise from $32 billion this year to $51 billion by 2023.

Levi's is getting into the resale game.

The company is launching its own program for shoppers to buy and sell pre-owned jeans and jackets, called Levi's SecondHand.

Customers who bring in their old denim to Levi's stores can get a credit of between $5 and $35, depending on the item's age, condition, and original retail price.

As an example, items that were made in the last 10 years are subject to credits that range from $5 to $15 for jeans and $5 to $20 for Trucker Jackets.

The most valuable trade-ins are items from Premium Levi's collections and pieces that were made more than 20 years ago. For both categories, jeans go for up to $30 and Trucker Jackets go for up to $35.

If an item isn't in good enough condition to resell, customers will still get a $5 credit and Levi's will recycle it.

The credit can be used at Levi's stores and on the brand's website.

After the pre-owned denim is traded in, it's professionally cleaned and then listed for sale on Levi's SecondHand's website.

The idea is "all about connecting people to timeless styles they otherwise may not have found, and most importantly, saving clothing from going into a landfill," according to the Levi's SecondHand site.

"Our belief is that you should love what you wear and live with it longer. Make sure you really love the things you buy," Jennifer Sey, Levi's chief marketing officer, said in a press release.

Levi's is working with Trove, an e-commerce and logistics startup, to handle cleaning, inventory processing, and fulfillment for SecondHand.

Resale continues to be a popular trend as awareness around sustainability and fashion's impact on the environment grows. According to a 2018 report from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, the fashion industry accounts for about 10% of global carbon emissions and 20% of global waste water. Resale players hope that by encouraging customers to buy clothing secondhand, they can reduce the emissions and waste water used to produce new items.

The resale market as a whole is expected to rise from $32 billion this year to $51 billion by 2023, according to research from ThredUp and GlobalData Retail.

And as Levi's is a popular brand on resale marketplaces including ThredUp and Poshmark, giving customers the ability to cash in on items they already own could pay off for the denim retailer.