Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone once again, but the negative impacts that they have on the environment are going to be forever.
While we're being bombarded with adverts for #BlackFriday and #BlackWeek, keep in mind that overconsumption is a major contributor to the climate and plastic crises we're facing.
If you don't need it, don't buy it. pic.twitter.com/1A16MOTuMo
— Greenpeace (@Greenpeace) November 25, 2021
The overconsumption of items is a huge problem in society and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon.
In 2020 alone, over 429,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gases were released in the UK alone on Black Friday according to Money.co.uk.
But it doesn’t end there. Black Friday was the most polluting holiday to date last year according to EcoCart. In total, consumers spent over 9 billion dollars in online shopping for Black Friday, up more than 20 percent the year before. And those stats don’t include how many money was spent for Black Friday for in person shopping.
“There’s a lot of person purchasing online. So there’s a large carbon footprint, moving items around the country.” -Terri McClymont, REAPS
Often times, people buy things they don’t need on Black Friday and Cyber Monday and eventually throw the item out which they rarely used, adding unnecessary items to the landfill, and wasting Earth’s resources that were used to make the item and transport it to its final destination.
However, there are ways that you can take advantage of Black Friday deals and not take part in overconsumption and be environmentally conscious. Terri McClymont from REAPS (Recycling and Environmental Action Planning Society) explains:
“Look to see what you actually do need and buy accordingly. If you if there’s items that you know that you’re going to be running out of wait until Black Friday and take advantage of the reduced sales and consciously think about what you’re choosing whether it’s good quality or not.”
On the brightside, there are some retailers who used the profits they earned from Black Friday and donated them to organizations to protect the environment. Outdoor clothing company Patagonia is donating over 10 million dollars of Black Friday profit to protect the environment.