Black Friday shopping has many unintended consequences to the environment that consumers don’t often think about. It is anticipated that shoppers will spend more during the post-Thanksgiving days than during any other time of the year. This is incredibly worrisome from an environmental mindset because although the intentions behind holiday gift giving are very positive, the materialistic consumerism leads to lots of unnecessary waste and carbon emissions! Instead of Black Friday shopping this year, consider taking steps to reduce the environmental impact of your thoughtful gifts!
Why it is important to skip the Black Friday Deals and Cyber Monday’s Footprint:
- It was reported by Adobe that the five busiest shopping days every year happen from November 21-26.
- It is important to consider how buying presents online and the coinciding shipping will affect the planet. For example, a Climate Lab found that any two-day shipping, like the automatic one Amazon Prime members receive, leaves a bigger carbon footprint than any of the other slower shipping options. This is because faster shipping requires more diesel trucks and less efficient shipping systems.
- I know that Amazon and all online shopping are really easy and convenient tools, but thinking about our planet first, especially in very high-consumerism times is essential.
How to Rethink purchasing during Black Friday and Cyber Monday:
- Avoid making unnecessary purchases.
- Buy gifts second hand! Giving a unique gift and providing it a second life is a perfect way to minimize your environmental footprint and save money!
- Buying less helps conserve our natural resources, lower our greenhouse gas emissions that would originally come from the manufacturing and shipping, and limit waste in landfills.
- Give a gift of a donation to a charity that they would love to support rather than buying the latest new gadgets.
- Consider supporting local artists by finding a gift fair or market. This ensures a quality, unique, and most often times sentimental gift that is made with intentions of respecting workers and consumers as well as the environment!
Where Else to Buy Gifts This Holiday Season:
- Gifting experiences is a wonderful alternative to physical gifts!
- Buying “upcycled” or recycled content is always a great option that aids in the lowering of the resources used.
- Finding the perfect gift for someone at a thrift store should be encouraged, not only is it economically favorable, it is better for the environment and bound to be a very unique gift!
- And, if you need to buy anything online, consider choosing the options that can have the least environmental impact possible:
- Such as, no-rush shipping, requesting bundled shipping if buying multiple items at once, and even buying carbon offsets!
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