Black Friday Or Green Friday?

As an alternative to Black Friday , a commercial initiative – scheduled for this year 2020 for November 27 – that unleashes the debauchery of consumption, the idea of Green Friday has arisen , which aims to promote another form of more responsible and ecological consumption. We give you 3 ideas to turn the Black Friday consumer into a responsible Green Friday :

1. Boycott Black Friday

To counteract the consumption debauchery promoted by the Black Friday action , which a few years ago has also penetrated in Spain, several NGOs, environmental groups and sustainable brands invite us to sign up for Buy Nothing Day (Day of not buying anything or Day without purchases ) or Green Friday, as a form of boycott against consumer society in general.

The proposal is to make a kind of “consumer strike”, that is, to reduce purchases as much as possible during this day. Ask yourself what you really need to consume this November 27 and, if possible, advance or delay those purchases so that you do not have to do them next Friday.

If you are fed up with the prevailing consumption model, this is also the day to go out and denounce an unjust, alienating and environmentally unsustainable socioeconomic system.

2. If you buy, choose sustainable and responsible options

The Slow Fashion Next platform , which promotes sustainable and responsible fashion in Spain, proposes to develop a slow fashion attitude that leads us to an increasingly responsible consumption.

Within this campaign, Slow Fashion Next encourages you to acquire only what is needed and to support sustainable, local and clean businesses with each purchase that respect the environment, workers and living beings.

The campaign takes place during the dates when we shop for Christmas and Kings, but in reality, as those responsible for Slow Fashion Next explain, it is about promoting a consumer attitude that should be maintained every day of the year.

The initiative is part of point number 12 of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, which refers to sustainable consumption and production.

This goal says that “if the world population were to reach 9.6 billion in 2050, it would take the equivalent of almost three planets to provide the necessary natural resources to maintain the current lifestyle.”

This Green Friday proposal is the opposite of Black Friday, which only aims to further stimulate an unconscious and uncontrolled consumerism that is already unsustainable.

“We believe that it is a huge mistake to participate in Black Friday, because, beyond the message that clothes have no value – if you can buy it with a 50% discount, what value does it have? promoting mindless consumption that will lead to environmental disaster, “says Gema.

Slow Fashion Next has created the Fashion Impacto Positivo directory, where you will find stores and brands. You will discover brands and stores with values that choose materials and sustainable and non-toxic fabrics that make you feel good inside and out.

You can follow the activities of the Slow Fashion Next platform through its Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts.

3. Bet on the circular economy

From Ecoembes they propose an alternative to traditional shopping to combat Black Friday consumerism: promoting the circular economy, buying recycled and second-hand products.

Along these lines, “Giving Tuesday” has emerged, a movement that proposes that on Tuesday food, time (through volunteering) and second-hand objects be donated to people in need.

Another option to turn Black Friday into Green Friday is to support companies committed to ecology that take the opportunity to take action in favor of the planet. For example, this year 2020 Ikea has launched a campaign to buy back used furniture from its customers.