Black Friday is upon us.
The American phenomenon of one-day-only deals and slashed prices is now a firm part of the shopping calendar, and with more lockdowns in effect, this year’s looks to be bigger than ever before.
Many people find that Black Friday promotes overconsumption and can mean a lot goes to waste.
At Natusan, we are all about creating Less Waste and More Wonder, so are encouraging our customers and friends to #Paws4Thought and consider a Green Friday in place of a Black one…
Did you know that in 2018, 21% of Brits purchased something on Black Friday/Cyber Monday that they later regretted, spending an estimated average of £83 on each of these items? (Source: Finder.com)
In order to raise awareness of the impact of Black Friday on our shopping habits, the Green Friday movement encourages consumers to avoid the temptations of sales and instead choose to shop sustainably and consume consciously.
With the UK high streets closed for the time being, many will look to do their shopping online, and as a result of one-day shipping promises and acres of plastic packaging being used, this can take a severe toll on the environment.
With throwaway fast fashion, short-lived items and excess packaging, it is little wonder that Black Friday has been described as ‘frying the planet’ - leading to higher pollution and climate change, causing a spike in plastic waste and even in air pollution.
Thankfully, more and more progressive brands and conscious consumers are bucking the trend of Black Friday in favour of promoting eco-friendly, sustainable and ethical alternatives.
Here at Natusan we firmly believe in encouraging a greener future and promoting brands who create products that minimise waste, or see the wonder in it.
You can learn more about our steps for sustainability here.
OUR TOP TIPS FOR TURNING BLACK FRIDAY GREEN
Choose ethical, sustainable and eco-friendly brands
With so many great eco-friendly brands and products out there, there is never a better time to go green.
This environmentally-conscious change can lead to a real difference for the environment, and as more Britons are searching for eco-friendly products, this too will see a shift in attitudes from larger companies to compete.
“More than a third (36%) of Brits are buying more from companies with strong environmental credentials as priorities shift during the pandemic, with 34% of them knowingly paying extra for greener products and services”
- internetretailing.net
When you buy, buy in bulk
Shopping in larger quantities not only means less packaging and transportation required, but it can also save you money!
Buying in bulk is a great way to develop a more low-waste and sustainable lifestyle, and often works out better for your wallet.
We now offer up to 40L of our natural cat litter - enough to last an average-sized cat 4 whole months!
Keep it small (and local)
For your shopping, choose independent or smaller retailers.
By doing this, the money you spend is kept in the community, ensuring local artisans, merchants and proprietors receive the support they need in these times.
Not only that, but purchasing goods locally helps the environment by keeping transport to a minimum.
Local shops often source goods locally, reducing the carbon footprint further.
Check out our favourite small businesses here.
Wrap smart
A truly shocking amount of wrapping paper is created for single-use and even worse some cannot be recycled (we’re looking at you, glitter…)
Using paper that is recyclable, reusable (or even re-used) is just another example of a little change that can make a huge difference for the environment.
Don’t forget the re-use the roll too, which is most definitely cat-approved.
Take part in ‘Buy Nothing Day’
Buy Nothing Day is a challenge set up to help us switch off from shopping.
For 24 hours on Black Friday, participants detox from making any purchases, resist the urge to splurge and join the global network in over 60 countries who #SHOPLESSLIVEMORE
Looking for more ways to minimise your waste? Bea Johnson, author of Zero Waste Home, reduced her household waste to just one litre a year, check out her key tips for zero-waste living here.
26/11/2020 by NatuTeam