5 Ways to Have A More Sustainable Black Friday/Cyber Monday

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday are just around the corner. These three days are some of the highest-consumption days of the year, but they can also be some of the most stressful when thinking about how to balance your personal ethics with your holiday shopping list. We know that for many of us, these sales can be among the few opportunities for us to afford both necessities, such as expensive appliances, and rare luxuries, such as clothes or cosmetics. We also know that the sustainable retail space is, by and large, less affordable than traditional retail and fast fashion, and these sales can be the only chance for many of us to try more sustainable products. We want sustainable baddies everywhere to know that you can participate in holiday shopping and the wonderful (and sometimes much needed) sales that come in the days following Thanksgiving while mitigating your consumption. We want to equip you with a guide to sustainably and ethically participating in the upcoming retail holidays. Whether you’re gift shopping or stocking up on essentials, these tips will help you to have the sustiest of shopping seasons!

Think About Why You Want to Shop

Before participating in such a huge consumer holiday with a very un-susty history – and possibly making purchases at stores that don’t deserve your money – take a moment to step back and think about why you are participating. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are retail holidays. At their core, they are about spending money and acquiring material things. But that doesn’t necessarily have to have a negative effect on society and the planet! Make an effort to educate yourself on the good, the bad and the ugly of the holiday. Black Friday promotes overconsumption and adds a significant amount of waste to our planet. But it is also an opportunity to reflect on our consumption habits and change the way we take part in retail holidays. Now is a great time to communicate and discuss with your fellow susty-minded friends to see what they think about the retail holidays, how they plan on ethically participating, and work together to make the most of the sale season. 

Stick to a List and a Budget

Holiday sales can leave you with a lot of regrettable purchases. To avoid a Black Friday hangover, come up with a game plan. Create a list of who and what you’re buying for. For example, if Black Friday sales are your way of getting your gift shopping done, write down the name of each person you will be giving a gift to. Next to their name, write the item or an idea of something you would like to purchase for them, and next to that, write a range of how much you’re willing to spend. A range will give you some flexibility and not make you feel so confined to a price. Add all these ranges up to create a high and a low end for your spending budget. 

Another list that can help you prioritize staying within budget is creating a list of the brands you would like to purchase from, along with the discount codes or sale offers they are promoting this season. This doesn’t have to be a written list; it can be more useful to create an Instagram saved-post folder, screenshot album in your camera roll, or email folder for promotional messages.

Support Susty and Small Businesses

Make it a point not to shop from major retailers this Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and instead support brands that value their customers, workers, and create ethically-produced and sourced items. Buying from a small business is more than just taking money away from unsustainable major retailers. It’s also showing an appreciation for the countless hours that someone put into perfecting their craft. It’s a way to share in a person’s artistic process and an opportunity to really connect with the story behind an item. Maybe even skip Black Friday and Cyber Monday altogether and only participate in Small Business Saturday. The choice is yours!

With a little effort put into researching susty brands or small businesses, chances are that you will be able to find a similar item to what you’re looking for that is higher quality, ethically made, and fairly priced. You might not think of thrifting or buying secondhand as a traditional Black Friday must stop spot, but vintage, thrift, and second hand stores may also have Black Friday sales. Don’t say “no” to buying your gifts secondhand! We are thrifting and secondhand’s #1 fans and, personally, would be ecstatic if a friend gifted us something they thrifted. But a secondhand gift might not be appealing to everyone, so check with your loved ones first. 

Practice Conscious Consumerism

A conscious consumer thinks about making deliberate purchases. Take the extra step to really consider each purchase you will make during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Make each purchase a decision that you think will positively impact the gift-receiver’s life and have a neutral impact on your economic well-being and on the environment. Practicing conscious consumerism will help you make the  best choices when shopping this season and will lower the possibility of overconsuming or purchasing items without a strong intent. Remember that you and your consumption habits have the power to change businesses production habits. Don’t feel pressure to make any purchases at all! If you haven’t found what you were looking for, be grateful for what you did find, and be patient – that perfect item will come along soon! 

Shop In-Person

If possible, make an effort to shop in person on Black Friday. Supporting small local businesses is a great way to contribute to the local economy and find unique items and gifts. If you’re shopping in person, take reusable bags to carry your purchases so that you don’t have to ask for a shopping bag or pay a fee for an extra bag. Many small business and sustainable brands do not have store fronts and manage their platforms through online store fronts, so we are definitely not saying you shouldn’t shop online at all! Just try to shop in person whenever you can to lower waste produced by shipping and packaging materials. If you are shopping online, check to see if the business uses reusable or compostable packaging or has an option to pay a few extra dollars to offset your carbon footprint through services like EcoCart or Carbon Checkout. 

We want you to have the most enjoyable and susty of shopping seasons! No regrets! We hope these tips come in handy as you find your personal balance between living sustainably and holiday shopping. ♥️