Since the beginning of November, every email, every social media advert, every shop window has been like the Big Bad Wolf, lurking behind a bush and whispering in my ear, “Would you like to buy this?” … “Go on, you know you want to.” … “It’s cheap, so cheap!” But I didn’t fall for it. I slammed the door, shouted, “Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin!” and left the wolf huffing and puffing outside. I hope you did the same, too.
November is finally over. Black Friday is a fine example of how we destroy our planet with overproduction, overconsumption, and the waste that follows.
Did you know more than 141 million tonnes of plastic packaging are produced globally every year? That’s like covering the entire city of London in a knee-deep layer of bubble wrap (and it’s not the fun kind you can pop). Much of this is single-use and lasts about as long as your excitement over that “must-have” deal. Manufacturing, transporting, and delivering products every step of the process pumps carbon into the atmosphere. And Black Friday, with its frenzied demand, throws fuel on this fiery mess, quite literally.
Then there’s the returns. Impulse buys you didn’t really need in the first place often lead to buyer’s remorse. In fact, 52% of shoppers regret what they bought on Black Friday. No surprise, then, that product returns jump by 143% right after the sales weekend.
Returning stuff is an environmental nightmare. It can rack up 30% more emissions than the original delivery. Why? Because your “oops, I didn’t actually need this” item gets hauled back to warehouses, often by trucks or ships, burning fossil fuels along the way. Once there, it might need steaming, cleaning, or re-wrapping in shiny new plastic, all for something you didn’t even want. Some companies can’t be bothered and simply toss returns straight into landfills because it’s cheaper than restocking.
This is how each thing we buy adds to the damage we’re doing to the planet:
Manufacturing: Resource depletion, energy consumption
Packaging: Plastic waste, deforestation
Shipping: Fuel consumption, air pollution
Returns: Additional transport emissions, potential landfill waste
We’re at a point where we need to take a hard look at how and why we shop, especially during events like Black Friday.
What if we started buying less and buying smarter? It’s about thinking before we spend: Do I really need this? Will I use it? Could I fix or repurpose something I already have? Repairing, reusing, and recycling can help cut down waste and give the planet a break.
Every product we buy has a story, and it’s not a fairy tale. From digging up raw materials to throwing it away, every stage leaves a mark. For example, making just one smartphone uses 14,000 litres of water enough to fill a small swimming pool. A laptop? Try 190,000 litres. Knowing this might make us think twice before clicking “Add to Basket.”
We don’t need more clothes. More shoes. More pointless gadgets you’ll use once and forget about. Cheap and cheerful trinkets made from the worst materials that barely last a month. We don’t need more stuff. We have enough. We have plenty.
So stop buying just because it’s Black Friday. Just stop. You don’t need it; you only think you do. It’s not about what you’re buying, it’s about the thrill, the speed, the compulsion. There is no bargain. There is no good deal. It’s an illusion. A scam.
If you fell for it this year, that’s okay. Conscious consumption takes practice. It’s something to work on every day, not just when the sales roll around.
And next time, when the Big Bad Wolf comes knocking with a deal too good to be true, say it loud and clear, “Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin!”