Black Friday: What’s the best deal for our planet?
Ubuntu Thoughts / Article / 8 min read
November 23, 2022
Jaz Newberry
Account Manager
Account Manager
For the past two weeks, my poor inbox has been spammed with emails that always contain the same bland subject lines: “Black Friday has landed” or “Get 50% off this Black Friday.” Before even opening it, I usually swipe right and… “ping”, it’s deleted. I really should just unsubscribe. I rarely do.
So, yes, you’ve guessed it: It’s Black Friday this week. The time of the year where shoppers become feral, fighting in the aisles over the latest deal on an airfryer or gadget you will likely never use. Originating in America, the Black Friday sales have long been known as the day that US retailers slash their prices. However it has since ballooned around the world — most notably in Western Europe — and has become one of the biggest (if not the biggest) sales periods of the year for shoppers around the world.
Holding such a title, however, comes with its fair share of drawbacks.
We’re already experiencing a huge problem with plastic pollution. Only 9% of all plastic that’s ever been made is recycled, and the over-consumption that comes with Black Friday is only exacerbating this further. With 80% of products bought during Black Friday ending up in landfill, being incinerated or incorrectly recycled, and product deliveries this year expected to produce 429,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas (the equivalent of 435 return flights from London to New York), consumers are beginning to think about the impact of the goods they buy.
For those who find this news depressing enough, it gets worse. Over the holiday weekend, Black Friday sales are projected to bring in £8.71 billion in sales. Yet despite retailers claiming the sales prices are the cheapest deals of the year, Which? reported last year that 98% of items were in fact the same price — or cheaper — in the 6 months after Black Friday.
If you're finding it hard to avoid the flood of emails offering 70% off more junk, we would strongly urge you to turn instead to local and independent retailers. They may not have the dirt cheap prices and hugely advertised discounts that you’re used to seeing, but you will not only be supporting someone who really values your business, but the product you will receive in return will likely be of much higher quality.
In the words of Martin Lewis, the founder of MoneySavingExpert, “If you were going to buy it anyway and it’s half price, you’ve saved 50%. If you weren’t going to buy it, but do it just because it’s half price, you’ve wasted 100%.”
Holding such a title, however, comes with its fair share of drawbacks.
We’re already experiencing a huge problem with plastic pollution. Only 9% of all plastic that’s ever been made is recycled, and the over-consumption that comes with Black Friday is only exacerbating this further. With 80% of products bought during Black Friday ending up in landfill, being incinerated or incorrectly recycled, and product deliveries this year expected to produce 429,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas (the equivalent of 435 return flights from London to New York), consumers are beginning to think about the impact of the goods they buy.
For those who find this news depressing enough, it gets worse. Over the holiday weekend, Black Friday sales are projected to bring in £8.71 billion in sales. Yet despite retailers claiming the sales prices are the cheapest deals of the year, Which? reported last year that 98% of items were in fact the same price — or cheaper — in the 6 months after Black Friday.
If you're finding it hard to avoid the flood of emails offering 70% off more junk, we would strongly urge you to turn instead to local and independent retailers. They may not have the dirt cheap prices and hugely advertised discounts that you’re used to seeing, but you will not only be supporting someone who really values your business, but the product you will receive in return will likely be of much higher quality.
In the words of Martin Lewis, the founder of MoneySavingExpert, “If you were going to buy it anyway and it’s half price, you’ve saved 50%. If you weren’t going to buy it, but do it just because it’s half price, you’ve wasted 100%.”
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We appreciate that all life on earth is under threat, so we’re using the resources we have—our business, our investments, our voice and our imaginations—to do something about it. Reducing the negative impact on people and the planet.
If you're looking to make a change in how you market your business, we'd love to chat. Find out more.
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