Green Friday is the leading alternative to Black Friday. Organized by the Make Friday Green Again collective, it currently brings together more than 1,000 brands. Together, they have chosen not to take part in this marketing event; instead, they want to encourage more responsible consumption and raise awareness among their communities about the real challenges of such a day.
The challenges of Green Friday
On Black Friday, major brands offer huge discounts in an effort to clear unsold items. The hysteria this day provokes is incompatible with responsible consumption. Heavy, short-term sales push consumers to make hasty decisions without taking the time to consider the real need for the product, leading to overconsumption.
Furthermore, these promotions create misunderstandings among consumers. What is the true price of a product that yesterday cost €100, is now only worth €30 during Black Friday, and is worth €70 during the sales? What margin do major brands make the rest of the year when I pay full price for the product? Be careful: the discounts offered during this event actually hide inflated prices for the occasion.
Consuming without reason is not without consequences for the environment. While it is imperative to limit global warming to 1.5°C before 2030, we must reestablish healthier consumption fundamentals. The objective of the Make Friday Green Again movement is therefore to raise awareness among brand communities about more responsible consumption through simple actions:
- Take the time to analyze your real needs
- Sort out your cupboards
- Repair, resell, give away
- Systematically recycle what is no longer usable
- Consume what is necessary without excess
Green Friday figures
The movement was launched by analyzing some very simple data:
- 6 out of 10 French people consider Black Friday as an incentive to buy products they don't need (Source: Study by the Society and Consumption Observatory ).
- 7 out of 10 French people want to completely rethink their way of consuming ( Havas Study 2020 ).
- Nearly 5 out of 10 French people believe that the promotions displayed during Black Friday are not always real deals (Sources: Study by the Society and Consumption Observatory, 2019).
When we add to this the fact that in our cupboards, 7 out of 10 objects are never used and that the average French person has on average 2 tons of objects at home, it is imperative to ask ourselves if we really need to buy on Black Friday.
In 2020, more than ever, a significant change took place: we saw Earth Overshoot Day pushed back by three weeks. We can do better together, and we want to support you in this desire to progress: let's consume less, but better.
Green Friday actions
Instead of Black Friday, let's take stock of what we have in our cupboards, discard what we never use, and buy only if we really need it. Here are some concrete benefits of sorting: it helps us realize what we really need, save space, and sometimes even make money.
Consuming responsibly is one of the most effective ways to reduce our impact on the planet. Promoting a circular economy by extending the lifespan of our products conserves our resources. To achieve this, I repair, resell, donate, recycle, or upcycle items I no longer use.
All these actions result in the only and unique promotions valid on this day:
- -50% CO2 emissions when doubling the lifespan of a product.
- -75% CO2 emissions when recycling a used item.
- -100% CO2 emissions when you upcycle an item destined for the trash.
As you will have understood, at Ludis we have, like last year, joined the Make Friday Green Again movement launched by the Faguo brand and we will not be participating in Black Friday.
We encourage you to declutter your closets, repair, donate, resell, recycle, or upcycle products you no longer use. To learn more about climate change, read our article on the carbon footprint of fashion !
Please let us know what you think of Green Friday in the comments and send us photos of you sorting out your closets this Friday. 😃
See you soon !
Mathias & Lucas 🐍