Since the early 1980s, Black Friday has been a kind of unofficial US holiday marking the beginning of the holiday season and, consequently, the most profitable time for retailers in the year. The day, which follows Thanksgiving, is supposed to offer shoppers the best sales and deals on everything from electronics to clothes and anything that can be considered a gift. However, more recently, the unofficial shopping holiday has been suffering a backlash from people who have realized that it doesn’t really offer “the best deals” and that it’s nothing more than a gimmick to get the whole country to start spending their money as soon as possible.
As a result, anti-Black Friday movements have emerged in recent years. The earliest one was born in Canada in 1992, and it was called Buy Nothing Day, but in the last two or three years, a new movement has come to light, expanding on the basic ideas behind Buy Nothing Day, while also adding a more ecological philosophy. The movement is called Green Friday, and it seeks to raise awareness about the damage that Black Friday and the subsequent hyper-consumerist holiday season bring to the environment.
The idea is that the majority of the millions of shoppers who rush to shopping malls that day, or stay up late after Thanksgiving dinner browsing for deals online, aren’t aware of all the ways in which their gift shopping is actually harming the planet. Think of the carbon emissions caused by driving to the mall or browsing on the internet, the shipping of millions of items around the world, the plastic waste produced by packaging and shopping bags, and even the long-term waste produced by mindlessly buying things we don’t need and that will end up in the trash a year from now.
Green Friday is about changing the way we see this day and switching our mindset from “buy, buy, buy” to finding alternative ways to give gifts during the holiday season, so we don’t cause further damage to the Earth. It’s definitely a big change, and many people wouldn’t even consider giving it a try, but even if only a small percentage of the population makes the switch, it’ll mean great things for the environment.
Here are some of the ways you can do Green Friday and help the planet, while also rejecting the big holiday spending machine.
Skip Black Friday altogether
Go out, spend the day in nature, and make an effort not to buy anything.
Plan your shopping ahead
Just like with grocery shopping, when you make a list ahead of time of the gifts you want to buy for your friends and family, you think more about what you’re actually buying, so you don’t buy unnecessary things or buy too much.
Buy local
Buying your gifts from local businesses and designers or artists means less packaging, less transport involved, less driving around, and ultimately, a smaller carbon footprint.
Give alternative gifts that you don’t have to buy
You can give your loved ones alternative gifts that don’t mean buying anything. Take them for a day out, make them something yourself, or cook them a healthy meal. The possibilities are endless.
Make a donation in their name
Lastly, a great option for an alternative gift is to make a donation in your loved one’s name. It’s a beautiful act that will mean a lot to the person you were thinking of.
You don’t need more of the latest gadgets or trendy clothes. So why not challenge yourself to having a Green Friday this year and change your mindset to an approach that is better for you, your wallet, and the planet?
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