TURNING BLACK FRIDAY GREEN
Black Friday is nearly upon us again – that delightful American import that exhorts us to buy All The Things at knockdown prices. I can’t quite decide whether it’s bigger than ever this year, or whether the backlash against it is starting to gain momentum?
Whichever way it’s going, it feels like Black Friday is here to stay, for a little while at least, so what’s the sustainable(ish) approach to it?
I’ve thought long and hard about this, and in the past I’ve been fairly unequivocal in my disapproval with posts like “20 reasons to screw Black Friday”. And there are some fairly scary stats to back up that stance.
But I’m coming more and more round to the fact that there is no black and white, no green and white, no right way or wrong way. And that although yes, on one hand Black Friday appears to be a rampant celebration of buying and excess, and a very clever way of retailers manipulating us into buying things we neither need or want, on the other hand, it can be really helpful for some people, if there’s something you do actually need or want, and is an opportunity to save some hard-earned pennies on something that you would have had to buy anyway.
So with that in mind, here are some ideas for turning Black Friday green...
Opt out and join in with Buy Nothing Day instead!
- Remove temptation and unsubscribe from the tsunami of e-mails that are no doubt already flooding your in-box.
- If you can, get outside and into nature, away from the pop up ads, and the billboards telling you how much better your life will be when you've bought the hand-held hoover of your dreams...
- If you can't get away from the ads, have a little word with yourself and look at the dispassionately, for what they are - clever marketing tricks to manipulate you into buying stuff you don't need!
Think secondhand first
If you're tempted by something, stop for a minute and think about whether you might be able to find it secondhand. Probably cheaper, and definitely lower impact on the planet!
Make a list!
Make a list of the things you’ve been looking out for – whether that’s things that you need, or that you want, or that present that you know the kids are desperate for?
The whole point of Black Friday is that retailers want you to impulse buy. Because it’s Black Friday and everyone else is, because it’s cheap, because you might get a bargain. No matter how cheap something is, it’s not a bargain if you wouldn’t have bought it in the first place! If you wouldn't buy it full price, don't buy it on Black Friday!
Shop ethical instead
Sian at Ethical Hour has got a great campaign going on called #shopethicalinstead encouraging us all to buy from independent ethical businesses, rather than give our cash to giant corporations whose only interest is in profit, with little or no concern for people or planet.
If you’ve been looking for ethical pants, or a reusable water bottle, then choosing to spend your hard earned cash on ethical goods (with or without a discount!) is a brilliant way to cast your vote for the kind of world you want.
Ask yourself some questions
Check out this great list of questions to ask ourselves before buying stuff, from Global Action Plan as part of their #idontbuyitcampaign. Download it and make it your phone or computer screensaver, or print it out and pop it into your purse..! Staple it to your forehead if you need to, but take a breath on Black Friday, and a minute to run through these questions.
(Hear more about the campaign in this podcast episode here)
Are you a Black Friday fan or a hater?
What will you be doing/buying/not buying this year?
Let me know in the comments!
INTRODUCING THE CRAP-FREE CHRISTMAS COURSE!
Packed with hints, tips, ideas and links for a Christmas with less waste and less impact on the planet, one imperfect step at a time!
This is an online self-paced course, meaning you can dip in and out at your own pace and pick and choose what you want to focus on.
