Why We Want to Keep Black Friday Green
We all love a bargain, and we understand why Black Friday may be the best time of the year for some.
With the endless deals, it’s ideal for buying Christmas gifts at a fraction of the price. But have you thought about what the inevitable impulse buying is doing to our planet? Because of this, we’ve decided to give Black Friday a miss this year, and we want to help you make Black Friday just a little greener - here’s how!
Make a List
Impulse buying is a huge issue when Black Friday rolls around. Consumers often purchase a product because “it’s cheap, so why not?”. The feeling of taking home something for 70% of the original price is satisfying, but it’s likely that your momentarily loved items will sit in the corner collecting dust until you decide to bin it. Approximately 80% of Black Friday purchases are thrown away. These end up in landfill and produce leachate which is a toxin that pollutes our air, water and land. Even the name isn’t pleasant. If you do wish to shop, make a list of what you’d like to buy and stick to it! Your wallet (and our planet) will thank you.
Only Buy What You Need
Black Friday home deliveries in the UK will accumulate approximately 430,000 tonnes of greenhouse gasses. That’s the same amount of emissions from over 400 return flights to New York from London! Since the pandemic hit, this has only increased with shoppers trying to avoid the crowds. The solution? Have a think about whether that purchase is really worth it. Try to only buy what’s on your list (see point one!) or what you really need.
Return Items - Don’t Bin Them
Imagine this… You buy something on Black Friday because it was a great price. You arrive home and take a look at your purchase, but it’s damaged. You’re frustrated, but it was so cheap that returning it doesn’t seem worth the hassle. The only other option is to bin it - you and a whopping 40% of Black Friday buyers. You guessed it, off to the landfill it goes. So make sure to return anything you don’t need or want anymore to keep our landfills as empty as possible!
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Whether you’re shopping in-store or online, packaging and shopping bags are contributing to landfills massively. It’s not uncommon to see a tiny item in a huge box surrounded by styrofoam or plastic air bags! If possible, request no packaging or recycle where you can..
If you still wish to shop Black Friday, we would suggest taking your own reusable bag to the shop rather than shopping online or purchasing a bag in-store. Or, you could source products with as little unrecyclable packaging as possible. (Psst… Our PÄRLA toothpaste tabs come in 100% recyclable packaging… 👀).
“But everyone else is doing it…”
If you follow these steps, hopefully you can bag a bargain AND avoid waste, shop Black Friday deals AND feel good. For PÄRLA, we decided that our green conscience is more important than contributing to the hit our planet takes every year. We strive to make PÄRLA as sustainable as possible, so we hope you understand and continue to support our journey 💚.
