Black Friday
There are two major holidays coming up in November: Thanksgiving…and Black Friday. At this point, Black Friday has its own season, extending through Small Business Saturday to Cyber Monday, followed by Giving Tuesday. It is not only a commercial frenzy, but it has become a litmus test for the health of the economy in the United States. Wow!
In the face of so much pressure to buy so many things in SO much packaging, making sustainable choices can seem pretty daunting. Luckily, holiday shopping and sustainability are not mutually exclusive–it just takes a little planning, and this Waste Not Wednesday, we have our top tips.
While we always encourage gifting homemade items, experiences, or low-waste items first for the holidays, sometimes, you may find you need to make a new purchase. In those cases, Black Friday may actually be a pretty good time to shop for deals on certain gifts (or even everyday needs), and with the discounts, it can be an opportunity to buy in bulk or from a pricier but more sustainable vendor offering a great deal. If you need several of one item, you can save on shipping and packaging by purchasing them together or at the store in person, slightly reducing your carbon footprint.
Similarly, Small Business Saturday is a great time to walk your local downtown area (instead of driving to many different stores) and take in all the decor and different vendors in your community. By shopping local, you can avoid the waste and pollution involved in shipping items long distances in unnecessary plastic wrap and many different boxes. Plus, the gifts purchased at these stores are often more personal.
Cyber Monday gets a little trickier to shop sustainably, due to all the shipping and packaging waste inherently involved, but if you have to buy online, be sure to check any options that offer combining purchases into fewer boxes or offsetting the carbon emissions of the purchase. If possible, choose companies with a commitment to more sustainable practices and consider weight, number of boxes, and packaging when deciding to buy online vs. in person or making a different purchase altogether.
Lastly, you can always just stay home and avoid the crowds, spend some time digesting your Thanksgiving meal in peace. You can always shop when it’s calmer and you can make decisions without all the pressure. We promise the economy can wait a few days. :)