Credit: natur&ëmwelt
In the latest in a series of articles about current conservation issues, experts at natur&ëmwelt, a leading nature conservation NGO in Luxembourg, spoke to Chronicle.lu about the environmental impact of - and alternatives to - Black Friday.
Natur&ëmwelt volunteer Mithila Unkule helped collect the relevant information from the NGO for this article.
Black Friday sales are one of the most awaited discounts of the year. But what goes on behind the scenes?
Chronicle.lu: What is Black Friday?
Natur&ëmwelt: Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. Started in the USA, retailers sell most items of their stores with huge discounts to make way for newer Christmas-themed stock. The scale of this day, and the discounts, are the largest in the USA. But this custom has fast spread across the world, thanks to multinational giants such as Amazon.
Chronicle.lu: At first glance, this seems promising for customers and businesses alike... What is the issue?
Natur&ëmwelt: It's true that these massive discounted prices benefit customers and lead to billions of euros in revenue for companies. But they also have enormous environmental footprints due to increased carbon emissions and waste generation. Just last year, during the Black Friday weekend, trucks transporting goods around Europe released an estimated 1.2 million tonnes of CO2. That’s 94% more than an average week! So it's really important to consider the environmental impacts of our actions, especially with an already crushing load on the planet.
Chronicle.lu: Why is there such a massive increase in purchasing, especially in light of increasing environmental awareness? Do people need so many things?
Natur&ëmwelt: In this case, it is simply a psychological reaction, as people like shopping, and especially shopping for cheaper goods! However, according to Green Alliance, more than 80% of the items bought during Black Friday sales in the US are returned or thrown out, eventually ending up in landfills, as retailers are eager to stock up on newer items. So it is clear that we don't really need so much stuff, and the impact of our impulse Black Friday buys can be enormous.
Chronicle.lu: What is the solution? Should we stop buying these highly discounted items?
Natur&ëmwelt: We don’t need to completely stop buying things when they are highly discounted, but can definitely be more conscious about what we buy. It could be worthwhile to make little changes in attitude and behaviours - have a list of things we need and stick to it, or buy from smaller, more ethical businesses, who will ensure reduced environmental impact. That being said, [we] don't put all the blame on customers. [We] also really hope that more brands opt out of these excessive waste creating deals. There are many conscious businesses that are already choosing to not offer big deals, or offer alternatives to the traditional Black Friday, called "Green Friday". Some brands offer smaller discounts, some offer part or all of their proceeds to causes of impact.
Chronicle.lu: Can we celebrate Green Friday in Luxembourg?
Natur&ëmwelt: Absolutely! The shop at natur&ëmwelt offers small discounts as a part of the Green Friday initiative, on 24 and 25 November 2023. A large proportion of the sales goes to their projects and efforts to sensitise nature conservation, not just during the "Green Friday & Saturday" period, but all year round! You can check out their nature shop in Kockelscheuer to get special products that are not easily available in other shops.
The shop will be open from 08:30 to 17:00 on Friday 24 November and from 10:00 to 17:00 on Saturday 25 November 2023. Further details are available at: www.naturemwelt.lu/green-friday-saturday-au-shop-nature-a-la-kockelscheuer/.
