Black Friday’s Overconsumption and Its Environmental Impact
Come November and all we can think about is shopping until we drop. We search frantically for the best deals and the biggest sales. The Black Friday temptation is overpowering.
Businesses treat this period as a great opportunity to drive up sales and generate extraordinary revenues. Black Friday, and now Cyber Monday, deals and offers are announced way in advance of the actual weekend to build up the hype. Of the 183 million consumers expected to shop over the weekend in the US, most are expected to do so on Black Friday.
On the flip side, this explosion in the number of shoppers has far-reaching effects.
Billions of dollars spent over the holiday season result in overconsumption and astounding amounts of waste created. In the UK alone, Black Friday contributes to approximately 1.5 million tonnes of waste, with nearly half of it from packaging materials.
This staggering figure points to the environmental burden tied to excessive consumerism during the shopping season.
The Consumerism Boom on Black Friday
So what is the driving force behind this boom in shopping that we witness annually over this particular weekend? Let us take a look.
Businesses today have learnt to capitalise on consumers’ emotions. They play on psychological triggers such as FOMO (fear of missing out) by creating ads such as those announcing “only a few left”, and “limited-time” deals and offers. An impression of scarcity is given. Urgency and excitement are created through clever advertising, making shoppers fear that if they do not avail of these sales, they will lose out on something special.
The result is that most of the shopping decisions are made in a hurry and unnecessary purchases are made.
Numbers That Speak
This shopping extravaganza is a global phenomenon.
According to a survey, 83% of consumers in Canada planned on availing the deals of the holiday season. Consumers in the UK plan to spend about 9 billion British pounds over the Black Friday weekend this year. In Italy, online sales over the season are expected to reach a total of 2.1 billion euros this year.
It is impossible to ignore the green cost of such staggering figures. The environmental impact of overconsumption has multiple layers and causes many negative impacts.
Waste from Packaging
Increased purchasing means an equally increased amount of packaging.
Unusually high volumes of packaging waste are created during such shopping events. When these items are ordered online, even more wrapping material is used and ultimately disposed of.
The surge in online shopping results in excessive use of cardboard, paper and plastic.
These materials are often non-recyclable due to coatings or dyes. There is extensive use of plastic wraps and fillers which are frequently single-use and challenging to recycle. This non-biodegradable waste ends up in landfills adding to these already overburdened sites.
Carbon Footprint of Shipping
Parcels that need to be delivered increase the demand for shipping and ultimately contribute to spiked levels of carbon emissions during this period.
The environmental impact of online usage is another growing concern as digital activities increase globally. Increased online shopping during events like Black Friday spikes emissions due to high web traffic and server loads.
Data centers including the servers hosting websites, apps, and online platforms consume vast amounts of energy, with many relying on non-renewable power sources resulting in increased greenhouse gas emissions.
Fast Fashion’s Role
Not to be left behind, fast fashion houses offer exceptional deals and discounts to capture their audience. This leads to an increase in demand for clothing and accessories which is met by speeding up the production of cheap and trendy clothes from synthetic materials.
Retailers are left with surplus stock that is unsold and is ultimately sent to incinerators or landfills. Most spur-of-the-moment purchases are also often wasted and end up adding to the waste crisis that is already a burden on the environment.
This amped-up production of fast fashion consumes resources such as fuel and water that are already depleted. If the production of a single T-shirt uses up to 2700 litres of water, imagine the impact of this mass production during the holiday season.
Rethinking Black Friday: Solutions for Change
The environmental challenges created by Black Friday and Cyber Monday need to be dealt with as a priority. Let us look at some of the ways this can be tackled.
Promoting Sustainable Shopping
The ideal way to go forward is to promote sustainable and eco-friendly brands. Make sure to choose eco-friendly products that do not burden the environment. Think about opting for recycled or upcycled items or checking out second-hand and thrift stores.
Many brands are countering the Black Friday craze by coming up with different strategies. An example is “Slowvember” by skincare brand “The Ordinary”. This sale lasts all month long so that consumers are not pressured into making hasty decisions.
People are also catching on to certain campaigns like "Green Friday" that promote sustainable practices in response to the Black Friday frenzy.
Small Changes for Consumers
Try not to give in to the temptations offered during the shopping season. Be mindful of the choices you make. Consider asking yourself if you really need the item you are attracted to.
Another way to tackle this problem is by making a well-thought-out list of the items that you really want. Try not to stray from it.
And finally always choose quality over quantity.
Business Responsibility
Businesses need to act responsibly and adopt sustainable practices, especially during this shopping boom. Eco-friendly packaging should be used so that the waste can be reduced.
One major step is to transition to renewable energy sources. It is high time that businesses and fashion brands invest in implementing closed-loop systems within their operation centres.
Wrapping Up…
It is easy to give in to the lure of these offers. But as consumers, we need to rethink our entire approach to consumption. Buy less, choose sustainably, practice mindful spending, and focus on quality over quantity.
Small but consciously taken steps can drastically reduce the environmental impact of our purchases and help create a more sustainable future and hopefully a greener planet.
