Let's Talk About Black Friday

This year, Black Friday falls on Friday 24th November, and is the day after Thanksgiving which originally signified the start of the Christmas shopping period. In recent years, more and more companies and consumers are partaking in the sales, with billions of pounds estimated to be spent in the UK across the Black Friday-Cyber Monday weekend.

Many people look forward to the Black Friday sales, with 81% of shoppers surveyed in 2022 stating that getting the best deal was the main priority...but what does this mean for the planet? Black Friday unfortunately promotes mass consumerism with little regard to the transport emissions, packaging waste, or manufacturing and disposal of the items themselves. Nowadays, with more customers shopping online, there is a surge of emissions from deliveries, with. anexpected 429,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from deliveries alone.

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"Buying a T-shirt releases many times more kg of CO2 than the weight of the shirt itself" - Phil Purnell, University of Leeds

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This day (which is now expanding to the whole month for some companies!) of sales and cheap products is fuelling our addiction to the shopping buzz. We are now shopping for the feeling rather than the necessity. This leads to literal tonnes of items being sent to landfill every year, and 80% of Black Friday products ending up in landfill, being incinerated, or being recycled improperly – having a HUGE effect on the environment.

Not only is this damaging to the planet, but its also affecting the people working to ensure that the products make their way to our doorsteps quickly. Ethical issues surrounding working conditions are a problem for factories elsewhere, such as the garment workers in developing countries, as well as closer to home, like the Amazon workers who are striking for proper pay and better working conditions.

So, what can we do?

Ask yourself...

• Do I need this?

• Before the sales, did I ever think about buying this?

• Is there a greener alternative? Could I buy this second-hand instead?

• Why do I want this?

• What will I do if I don't use this product? Where will it go?

• Does this price feel too good to be true? (If so, it probably is...there is probably a cut back of price somewhere else along the line – possibly linking to poor working conditions)

• How will I benefit from having this product?

Instead of partaking in the sales, there are some alternatives to get involved with...

• Choose small or sustainable businesses – especially if you're starting your Christmas shopping.

• Only buy what you know you will use long-term – ask yourself the questions above or follow the flow chart below to see if its a necessary purchase.

• Go through your wardrobe or house and have a clothing/item swap with friends – just because you don't want to buy things, doesn't mean you can't rejig your space/wardrobe!

• Sell your unwanted items – use this Black Friday to earn some money and give your clothing a new life by selling things on Vinted.

• Participate in 'Giving Tuesday' which is on the 28th November this year – donate to charity, volunteer your time, give food to food banks, the list goes on of ways to give back this year.

Brands to look out for (the GOOD ones):

• PATAGONIA – 100% of Black Friday profits are going to environmental causes. Patagonia also has their 'WORN Wear' programme, allowing shoppers to buy second-hand Patagonia products.

• FREITAG – Swiss bag and accessories retailer wanting to switch Black Friday 'from a shopping day to a giving day', closing its online stores and opening swap stores around the world where customers can exchange old bags for new.

• TEEMILL – 'Take Back Friday' campaign, whereby you can take back the empties of products or packaging of a completely used product for £5 store credit on next purchase.

• RAEBURN – 'Buy Nothing New' campaign encouraging people to buy second-hand.

• FINISTERRE – 'Blue Friday', with £2 being donated to Level Water charity for every purchase, providing swimming accessibility and lessons for children with disabilities.

• FAGUO – 'Make Friday Green Again' campaign, with the company not participating in Black Friday sales and focusing instead on social and environmental issues, encouraging repairing and recycling of products.

Many sustainable brands aren't participating in Black Friday for a multiutude of reasons. If you followed the flowchart, and asked yourself the questions to find that you do genuinely need the product, remember to stay conscious and think about the lifetime of the product both BEFORE and AFTER it reaches you.

If Black Friday is kick-starting your Christmas shopping for the festive period, evaluate some other gift ideas from small businesses or ethical companies and take a slower approach to shopping.