Boycott Black Friday: choose kindness over consumption

It's been another one of those weeks hasn't it. As I write to you, there are 93 flood warnings in the UK, and 1 severe flood warning which means there is a danger to life.

?Climate change is increasingly impacting our lives, even here in the UK.

?In stark contrast to the constant flow of difficult news, retailers are working super-hard to encourage us all to embrace Black Friday, and add to the problem. It's difficult to reconcile.

Black Friday has become synonymous with overconsumption, offering tempting deals but at a devastating cost to people and the planet. The environmental toll of this shopping frenzy is staggering: increased greenhouse gas emissions, mountains of waste, toxic pollution, and a throwaway culture that’s depleting our planet’s resources. This isn’t just a shopping event - it’s a wake-up call.?

What's the true cost of Black Friday?

• Carbon Footprint: In the UK, Black Friday-related deliveries alone emit?400,000 tons of CO?, equal to over 400 round-trip flights from London to New York.
• E-Waste Crisis: Electronics are a top purchase on Black Friday, contributing to the?50 million tons of e-waste generated globally each year, 80% of which ends up in landfills or incinerated.
• Landfill Overflow: Around?80% of Black Friday purchases?are discarded within a year, creating a deluge of waste.
• Financial Cost: The average UK shopper spends?￡150 or more, often on items they don’t need, adding unnecessary clutter and financial strain.

The Deeper Impacts

• Toxic Waste: Improperly processed e-waste releases hazardous materials like lead and mercury, poisoning water supplies in vulnerable communities worldwide.
• Social and Psychological Stress: Black Friday encourages impulsive buying, leading to regret, financial and emotional stress, and a "throwaway" mindset.
• Fast Fashion Fallout: Clothes bought during sales often contribute to the?14kg of textiles discarded annually per UK resident, contributing to around 350,000 tonnes of textiles annually, choking landfills and waterways.

So, why Boycott Black Friday?

By choosing not to participate, you can:

1. Save Money ??: Avoid unnecessary spending and instead invest in what truly matters.
2. Reduce Emissions???: Every purchase avoided helps lower the carbon footprint of production, shipping, and returns.
3. Cut Waste???: Prevent items from adding to landfills and polluting our planet.
4. Declutter Your Life???: Focus on quality, not quantity, and free your home from unwanted items.
5. Reclaim Your Time???: Spend the day with loved ones, outdoors, or engaging in meaningful activities.

Call to Action: Let’s Make Black Friday a Force for Good

This Black Friday, let’s redefine what matters. Instead of overconsuming, let’s invest in kindness, courage, and impact. Support local businesses, donate to causes, or spend the day creating memories with family and friends. Together, we can challenge the status quo and show that a better way is possible.

Join us in taking a stand for our planet, our communities, and our future.

?Boycott Black Friday—and build a brighter tomorrow.

Let’s choose impact over impulse. Will you? ??

You knew, what did you do? When the time comes, it is the only question that matters.

As we near the end of what looks to be the hottest year ever recorded, one full of devastating extreme weather events, and the year which saw one of the most powerful nations on earth vote for a climate-denying President, it begs the question, what next?

So many of the world's greatest societal and environmental challenges can feel overwhelming.

However, if we are lucky enough to have choices when it comes to our work and personal lives, it's vital we make decisions that count - not just for ourselves, but for generations to come.

We've been asked many times by people who feel the same.

People who want to step up and be the change the world so desperately needs.

After reflecting on the successes and feedback from 6 Leadership for Good cohorts over the past couple of years, which supported business leaders, consultants and in-business sustainability advocates to understand the principles of good business through a B Corp lens,Louisa Burman and I have developed a 2.5 day in-person programme ??

The Impact Leadership Programme offers:

1?? More practical examples around materiality assessments and impact-generating business models.

2?? More focus on how the current B Corp framework is being developed and how good business principles can practically be adopted by businesses.

3?? More opportunities for likeminded attendees to share knowledge and discuss challenges with each other, both informally, in workshop sessions and during sessions facilitated with LEGO? Serious Play?.

Registrations are now open and 40% of places already taken.

Places are strictly limited for the January cohort to ensure there’s plenty of opportunity for everyone’s voices to be heard.

?? If you’re looking for a practical and positive way to start 2025, you can learn more about the Impact Leadership Programme here