Bigger and bigger promotions in shops, newsletters in email inboxes, constant, almost aggressive advertising online; that's when we know that Black Friday has begun, a time of discounts and incentives to shop.
Black Friday has been a phenomenon in the United States since 1966, but in Hungary it was first celebrated on 28 November 2014. We may not know how much of a human backstory this sometimes unethical shopping promotion campaign has.
In the United States, because Thanksgiving falls on a Thursday, workers often report "sick" on Fridays. As well as resting up from the previous evening's celebrations, they also went Christmas shopping. The shops noticed the upsurge in sales at this time of year and began to advertise promotions to attract more customers.
Nowadays, it also includes Cyber Monday, which is advertised by companies on the Monday after Black Friday, specifically to encourage consumers to shop online.
And while we might think that action can't hurt, let's look at the impact this day has on our planet globally!
The really dark side of Black Friday
Black Friday promotions, which are more and more attractive than ever, are hard to miss, which is why they result in impulsive, reckless purchases. They can cause you to add products to your physical or virtual shopping basket that you may not actually need. The end result is unnecessary CO2 emissions, waste, and even disappointment at having added an unnecessary item to our home that seemed like a good idea when the red, discounted sign next to it flashed up.
In recent years, the pandemic has also led many people to switch to online shopping, which can have a larger overall ecological footprint than the average shop, due to the energy needed to run warehouses and the emissions from home delivery. During Black Friday week last year, an estimated 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 were released by lorries delivering goods across Europe. That's 94% more than in an average week.
But it is not just the increased number of deliveries that is responsible for the increase in carbon dioxide emissions. It is worth considering the whole life cycle of a product, including manufacturing, packaging, transport, waste and end use.
It's easy to order almost anything from the online shop from home, using your phone
Increased amount of waste
Waste is a fundamental problem that comes to the fore during Black Friday. Big discounts and cheap products can easily persuade shoppers to buy products they don't need. According to the Green Alliance, up to 80% of products bought during Black Friday, including packaging, are thrown away after a few uses, and some are not used at all. In the United States, for example, the amount of waste between Black Friday and New Year's Day has increased by 25% in recent years.
In addition, many products that are not discarded are returned to the shops by customers. But this does not mean that they will be sold again, especially if shops have already replaced their stock with the Christmas seasonal offer. This can create even more waste, as these products often end up in landfills.
Ethical implications
Besides the waste and unnecessary CO2 emissions, Black Friday also has many ethical implications. Increased customer interest often leaves employees overworked, not to mention underpaid. At Amazon, for example, more than 1,000 workers at a Coventry warehouse went on strike this month over pay and working conditions - and more strikes are planned for Black Friday. If a brand is pricing its products too low, go with your instincts and do your research before you buy.
Moreover, domestic retailers have no chance to compete with the big international brands. But this is a stressful time even for shoppers. The limited-time promotions increase irritability, and often even violence is used to get their hands on a product. Between 2006 and 2018, there were around 12 deaths and 117 injuries as a result of Black Friday pushing and shoving.
But enough of the depressing data, and let's look at the solution that will finally give us a breather! Learn about Green Friday and similar solutions for this period.
How can I make Black Friday sustainable?
As a consumer society, we are almost addicted to shopping because we treat it as therapeutic and rewarding. One of the psychological reasons why we overbuy is that shopping, especially for bargains, gives us a kind of dopamine boost, the hormone responsible for our happiness and well-being. But luckily there are ways to make our shopping habits greener!
Get involved in the Green Friday initiative
Green Friday is the eco-friendly version of Black Friday. The aim is to remember to look after ourselves and the planet, even on this day.
Green Friday is an anti-Black Friday movement launched in 2015 to raise awareness about the negative effects of our society's shopping habits. The first version of the event was organised in Canada in 1992 and became known as "Buy Nothing Day". The movement encouraged consumers to shop ethically and consciously by buying from sustainable, fair trade brands or by buying nothing at all.
Essentially, this is an initiative whereby brands and shops want to give back to the environment, not take from it. At the same time, the movement also encourages people to spend more time in nature.
Green Friday now has several official ambassadors, including representatives from the European Commission, ECODES, WWF and Ecoserveis. All of them stress the importance of meeting our needs through our shopping habits while respecting the environment.
Designer brands pieces or second hand clothes with a lower environmental impact
Green Friday opportunities
If you want to shop on this day, focus on sustainable and ethical brands. Check out their websites to see which brands have such a range!
Also, when shopping, always ask yourself: Do I really need this product or am I just buying it for the discounted price? - Answering this will help you avoid unnecessary hoarding!
But you can choose to shop less not just on Black Friday, but all year round. And if you need inspiration on how to do it, follow authentic brands! Pioneers in the field of sustainability in Hungary include Eszter Mengyán, Responsible Gastro, Humus Association.
And you can always buy recycled items, whether it's a second-hand dress or furniture.
Check out the sustainability events here! Take part in the Humus Alliance's Lantern Trail Walk and Talk, or visit JOICO Hungary's Green Friday Clothes Exchange.
And when shopping, keep these three principles in mind
Make a list - it will help you stay conscious when shopping
Set a budget - to know your limits and avoid overspending
Know your local brands and small businesses - and how you can support them
Shouldn't you shop in November at all?
No, you don't have to stop shopping completely in November. If everyone stopped shopping, some businesses would go out of business, especially smaller, domestic businesses. Participating in Green Friday doesn't mean that we have to stop shopping altogether, it simply encourages everyone to avoid falling into the trap of promotions and to be more conscious of our shopping habits. In this way we protect the environment by reducing CO2 emissions and our contribution to e-waste.
How can brands take advantage of Green Friday?
Consumer habits are changing, and as Generation Y and Generation Z are becoming increasingly keen shoppers, sustainability is becoming more important to them too. According to a recent study, the majority of Generation Z consumers are willing to spend up to 10% more on eco-friendly products. Brands can therefore take advantage of Green Friday by, among other things, making their customers aware that they are aligning with sustainable values in the following ways:
Discounts offered for sustainable products
Instead of offering store-wide discounts, companies can highlight their local and low environmental impact products.
Organising events and workshops
On this day, businesses can hold workshops and events focusing on sustainability. These events can educate participants on relevant topics such as circular fashion, zero waste and slow food initiatives, even in collaboration with experts.
Workshops can be not only informal but also creative and craft-based
Donations
However, a company's Green Friday campaign may also include donating a percentage or a full percentage of their sales for the day to an environmentally friendly cause.
Recycling
Most of the items we throw away could still be used for some time. Companies could even organise a campaign to recycle such items on this day. For example, IKEA bought back and resold items its customers no longer needed in 2021.
Look out for initiatives like this and more!
Examples of brands participating in Green Friday
Eco-friendly, ethical brands are taking different approaches to Black Friday, including boycotting the promotion altogether. Patagonia, among others, is among the brands that have decided not to join Black Friday at all. The brand also has a strong sustainability focus, including donating 1% of its revenue to environmental causes.
And in 2020, 100% of Black Friday sales were offered for such programmes. The brand has other exemplary campaigns, such as the Worn Wear programme, details of which can be found here.
More and more brands with sustainable models are retreating behind the scenes of Black Friday or coming up with an alternative, like Patagonia.
But you can also find companies with the same model offering a discount on their sustainability-related products. Examples of international brands include Fjällräven and Ocean Bottle.
However, big brands such as Apple and Monki, among others, are not taking advantage of Black Friday this year.
CYCLE and Green Friday
This year, instead of encouraging everyone to buy with bigger and bigger promotions, CYCLE wanted to raise awareness of the Green Friday opportunity and the sustainability model behind our cleaning products.
We encourage our customers to recycle by using recycled materials!
CYCLE cleaning products are made from recycled, plant-based natural ingredients. Our aim is to offer an environmentally friendly solution that effectively facilitates the steps of toxic-free cleaning at an affordable price. Browse our products and find the formula that's right for you!
CYCLE Refill refillable concentrate on deployment
OurRefill refill concentrates, for example, only need to be purchased once, after which you can refill them forever. This means you don't have to keep buying the same bottle, so your carbon footprint is reduced and the packaging contains 75% less plastic.
Browse our products on the website, read our blog articles and spend a stress-free and sustainable Green Friday with us!
Further resources:
https://clickatree.com/en/stories/green-friday
https://www.thooja.com/blog/green-friday
https://www.dw.com/en/the-environmental-impact-of-black-friday/a-63875495
https://www.goodenergy.co.uk/blog/black-friday/
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/amazon-strike-black-friday-b2451030.html
