Bye Bye Black Friday
The 25th of November is undoubtedly a day most people are looking forward to. Many globally recognised brands slash product prices and offer large discounts which results in a massive surge in consumers trafficking to websites and purchasing a large quantity of goods. However, what is often overlooked is the impact this can have on the environment. When we buy a product, no matter how “sustainable” the materials used for production are, the negative impact lies on the carbon emissions produced within the production and delivery phase of the supply chain. Moreover, it is also noted that many purchases made on this day are purely out of impulse and consumers don’t actually have an actual need for the product. This is not to say that retailers providing discounts is necessarily a bad thing, the fact remains that if you wouldn’t consider paying full price for a product you are interested in, then you really either didn’t need it in the first place, and probably didn’t want it.
What is actually bad for the environment and contributing to climate change is the impulsive “hyper-consumerism” culture that is highhanded by a lot of fast fashion giants. Over 80% of the purchases made on Black Friday only end up in landfills which is a major environmental problem being swept under the carpet. Many large brands such as Patagonia and Deciem are moving to boycott this day in order to raise awareness to this problem. There is a movement called “Knowvember” whereby brands raise awareness and transparency on what they are actually doing in order to be sustainable. It is quite easy to claim the sustainability label, but actually proving it, is where a lot of brands steer in the wrong direction.
As a brand, we want to follow in the footsteps paved by the giants in the industry that are actively making moves to improve their impact on the environment all the while still maintaining quality of products. We want to be part of the movement that bridges the gap between the fashion industry and sustainability.
