Black Friday, Consumerism and the IGCA

[Boyd Roberts]

BLACK (OR GREEN?) FRIDAY

 

The fourth Friday in November is termed Black Friday in a number of countries. Starting in the United States, but since adopted in other countries, it is a day when heavy discounts are offered on many consumer items, such as clothing or electrical goods. In some other countries a similar discount day takes place at other times this month.

 

These incentives for consumers to spend have been heavily criticised by environmental groups, as they encourage impulse purchasing which can be wasteful and unnecessary.

 

This is also the season of Diwali, Hanukkah and Christmas, when people buy presents for others. This is therefore a good time of year for IGCA participants to consider the section Being Good with Money within the IGCA programme. In this aspect of the programme participants are encouraged to find out about how their spending and purchasing decisions affect other people and the environment. Being good with money is part of the overall section Personal Global Footprint – which considers our impact on the lives of other people and the natural world through our lives, activities and spending.

 

One of the ways we can be good with money is by refusing to send, or spending less.

 

Various initiatives have been started to counter the excessive spending and consumption associated with Black Friday and are on the same day:

 

These include Green Friday and

Buy Nothing Day,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buy_Nothing_Day

 

Green Friday

Green Friday encourages us to counter Black Friday with alternative actions such as:

1. Spend time outside, anywhere – but especially in nature.
2. Spend time with friends and family
3. Do something nice for someone.
4. Do something to support a charity, your local community or any good cause.
5. Take time to create something.
6. Get active.
7. Meditate, practise yoga, exercise or otherwise invest your health – our number one asset!
8. Raise awareness for Green Friday and what it stands for – and against.

 

https://greenfriday.org.uk/green-friday/

 

 

 

Buy Nothing Day – encourages us, as a minimum, to avoid making purchases physically or online on Black Friday.

More generally it encourages us to rethink our shopping and to reject consumerism.

It reminds us that of the three Rs –

• Refuse and Reduce
• Re-use
• Recycle

the first, and most important is REFUSE AND REDUCE.

 

See

• this short video which explains the purpose of Buy Nothing Day
• this short piece suggesting ways teachers can approach Buy Nothing Day

 

 

These days offer opportunities for IGCA participants to:

• Reflect on their life styles and their spending and consumption (Reflection; Personal Global Footprint)
• Cut back on consumption and purchasing on the day itself (Personal Global Footprint)
• Find out more about anti-consumption and the circular economy (Research, reflection)
• Explain to others and try to convince other people of the need to consume less (Working with others: Promotion, Persuasion)

 

Resources on the circular economy

An overview of the circular economy from Eco Schools

https://www.ecoschools.global/what-is-circular-economy

 

And another from the Economist Educational Foundation (for ages 9+)

https://globaldimension.org.uk/resources/the-circular-economy/

 

An introduction (from Young Citizens) to the difference between linear and circular economies using the fashion industry as an example:

https://globaldimension.org.uk/resources/circular-economies-fashion/

 

 

Student activities (grades 10, 11, 12) which can be undertaken individually or in small groups:

https://circularclassroom.com/students/

 

Ways in which we can TAKE ACTION and reduce our consumption:

 

1. Cut back on single use plastic bottles, plastic cups, cutlery, ready meals and takeaway packaging. Re-usable coffee cups and water bottles are a great way to start.
2. Choose plastic-free or packaging-free gifts! Avoid wrapping paper with laminates, gold or silver foiling, coloured shapes and any type of glitter as none of these types of wrapping can be recycled.
3. Avoid fast fashion and look beyond the label. Try upcycling, selling or donating clothes to a local charity.

 

 

Presents and alternatives

 

With Christmas and other festivities approaching, people often wish to buy – and receive - presents.

 

Consider these alternatives to regular shopping.

 

1. Make your own gifts

 

2. Give a gift of time

Give a friend or relative a period of time, which you will spend with them to help them, or do something to make them happy.

 

 

3. Check for locally produced and available gifts that support charities, or gifts made by or in projects that benefit disadvantaged people.

 

The three IGCA charities, Kiva, WWF and Oxfam all offer gifts, available to purchasers in a number of countries.

 

Kiva is a microfinance scheme that lends people in the developing world small sums of money to help them set up small businesses.

Kiva is one of the IGCA’s charities, and now has a website, Kiva Store, that offers items made by Kiva borrowers in different countries. The shop ships to over 100 countries.

 

WWF, another of the IGCA charities, sells items to support its work to support wildlife and the natural environment. Check whether WWF has a store in your country.

 

In India: https://naturestore.wwfindia.org/

In the UK: https://shop.wwf.org.uk/

 

UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s charity, has online stores in the UK, USA and Canada. They will ship to other countries.

USA: https://www.market.unicefusa.org/

 

UK: https://market.unicef.org.uk/

 

NOVICA is a website that sells thousands of artisan-made, ethically produced items worldwide:

https://www.novica.com

 

 

(Buying items that are ethically produced is part of a general approach to shopping – ethical shopping – where all aspects of the production of items are considered such as: What are the working conditions of the people producing them? What is the environmental impact of production?

A document produced by former UK charity Think Global outlining ethical shopping is attached)

 

4. Give a gift to a refugee or disadvantaged person on behalf of another person

 

5. Give a charity donation instead of a gift