Arrange to take your students to a local thrift store for a behind-the-scenes look at how it a works. Where do the items come from? How does the staff prepare them to be sold? How do they price them? What happens if something doesn’t sell for a very long time? Wander around the store and see what types of items are there. How are they different from a regular store? Are the prices different? Is the packaging different? Does anyone see something they own? Does anyone see something they would want to buy?
For older students, you can add to the experience by visiting a regular department store first. Write down the prices of some common items you’ll likely find at the thrift store, such as blankets, sheets, T-shirts, jeans, books, and plates. You can also ask where the items came from and where they end up if no one buys them. Examine packaging, too. Then go to the thrift store and compare prices, packaging, and the lifecycles of the same products. Ask where items came from, where they go, and how local products fit into the reuse equation.