By Seher Talukdar
Thanksgiving Day, a holiday dedicated to being appreciative and grateful for our families and what life has given us. But it is ironically followed up with Black Friday, a day that concentrates on mass consumption and money. Many people now regard the day as a complete opposite to Thanksgiving as it focuses more on greed than gratitude, but what about the other aspects? Specifically, the environmental impacts.
It should come as no surprise that mass production of items, specifically cheap products or electronic devices has an awful tool on the planet. Between the production of these items and the transportation/distribution to different stores around the world, the amount of exhausted resources and toxic emissions definitely adds up. But the negatives don’t end there. Many items often places for sale during Black Friday are found to be cheap, single-use, or impossible to repair. This leads to plenty of items being thrown out quite rapidly, adding onto the growing amount of waste in landfills. Electronic devices, one of the most popular and sought-after products during the sales rush, are one of the worst items as they are seemingly designed to be unrepairable and leak chemicals like lead and mercury into the earth after being thrown away. Clothes have also grown into an issue as “fast-fashion” becomes more favorable and thrown out garments pile up in landfills. Not to mention all the carbon emissions that are caused by traffic jams and customers journeying to get there.
Many countries in Europe have begun to denounce the holiday, even some name brands have opted out of the horrid tradition. Protests in France eventually lead to the passing of an anti-waste amendment that bans Black Friday campaigns and the establishment of a new “Buy Nothing” Day. Another movement named “Green Friday” tries a different approach by promoting sustainable brands that focus on a more eco-friendly way of producing items, hoping to offer a better alternative for shoppers who find the sales too hard to resist.
Overall, studies are now showing that shoppers have denounced Black Friday more often and have become more conscious of the products they buy and their impact. More consumers demand better quality products that are long-lasting, and have begun to opt for more sustainable companies. While Black Friday may not be the same in 2020, it is highly encouraged that shoppers focus on small businesses and support them, or look into eco-friendly companies instead of fueling brands that are notorious for their large carbon footprints. Let’s keep the principles of Thanksgiving in mind as we set out for our safe, socially distanced expenditures!