Green Friday’s 6th edition challenges overconsumption!
Black Friday has grown into a global promise of good deals for consumers looking to purchase new products. This commercial tradition that started form the USA and quickly spread all over the world not only encourages overconsumption, but has also been proven to have severe consequences for the environment and the rights of workers.
The Green Friday movement, launched by the ENVIE network in 2017, later joined by Altermundi, Dream Act, REFER, Emmaus France, RESSOURCES, and RREUSE, now acting as the Collective.
The Green Friday Collective is dedicating to the promotion of a social and sustainable alternative to the Black Friday tradition and its harmful consequences, as well as to raising awareness about the realities of engaging in overconsumption. This year, the Campaign of the Collective highlights the issues caused by consumerism and the significant “reductions” we see, not in prices, but in our natural resources.
For 2022, the Green Friday Collective and MAIF approached Harris Interactive to carry out a study on shopping behaviour during Black Friday and Green Friday.
Myrto Delkou, Communication Officer at RREUSE highlighted, “Being part of the Green Friday Collective alongside our members ENVIE and RESSOURCES, for yet another year, is something that makes us very happy and proud. Now mor ehtan ever, it is essential that the people of Europe are aware of the damaging consequences of a commercial tradition such as Black Friday, and learn to reject it and instead turn to more sustainable and eco-friendly options. Social enterprises provide much more affordable, reliable and long-term solutions all year round than any Black Friday ‘deal’ ever could. Not only that, but they also provide employment opportunities for underprivileged people, and ensure fair working conditions for their employees. Supporting the Social Economy and the Circular Economy is not simply an investment that favours consumers’ wallets, it also favours the future of our planet and of society.”
