Black Friday has become synonymous with unbeatable discounts and frenzied shopping, but beneath the excitement lies a dark hidden truth. This annual event fuels overconsumption and overproduction, putting immense pressure on worker rights and the environment. This year, approximately 400,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions is expected to be released as a result of Black Friday shopping just in the UK, making it crucial to rethink how and why we shop.
The good news is that there is an eco-friendlier alternative. So, say hello to your new eco-friendly shopping event: Green Friday, which came about in protest of Black Friday’s hyper-consumerism.
Why Black Friday is Bad?
From online sales, Black Friday deliveries alone generate massive greenhouse gas emissions, but there’s much more to it. This movement promotes a throwaway culture, leading to a staggering 25% increase in waste production where about 80% of purchases, including products and packaging, end up in landfills are just from Black Friday sales. With the shopping frenzy of Black Friday, textile waste is expected to rise even further, exacerbating its already devastating environmental impact.
It is well-known that many big retailers stock brands or products that are made using sweatshops and other unethical business practices. This puts pressure on workers in production to produce more in short periods of time. In 2022, activists pushed back against the fast fashion platform, Boohoo, for their Black Friday sales due to the poor conditions and pay their workers face. For example, Boohoo workers in Leicester were only paid £4 an hour. In comparison, smaller sustainable fashion labels from African fashion businesses like Abiola Olusola, who produce sustainable yet luxurious garments like the Kess Asymmetric Ruched Dress, show commitment to providing ethical job opportunities with fair living wages for local artisans.
Two-for-one deals and big sales seem good on paper or online ads, but actually cause you to spend more. Black Friday is designed to encourage hyperconsumerism and drives consumers to buy things that they will not need and promotes a throw away culture. Once the glamour and dopamine rush of a recent purchase wears off, all that’s left is buyer’s remorse, an empty wallet and another item to throw into the landfill.
What is Green Friday?
Green Friday is a movement that began in 2015 in response to Black Friday aimed to raise awareness about ethical shopping and the damaging consequences that Black Friday sales contribute to the environment every year. Green Friday encourages consumers to make more mindful purchases by buying from sustainable brands and small businesses, all while being conscious of their shopping habits. Over the years Green Friday has quickly grown to prominence with the support of big organisations like the European Commission, ECODES, WWF, and Ecoserveis to name a few.
Green Friday takes place on the same day as Black Friday, with this year’s date falling on the 29th of November. Participating in Green Friday goes beyond shopping at your local supermarket ‘eco’ section or donating to a green initiative. Green Friday is a time to reflect on your lifestyle and the steps that you take on a daily basis that aid in a more sustainable future for figure generations. At ADJOAA, we specifically support African heritage rich fashion brands that support artisan communities by providing jobs, use traditional craftsmanship and raw natural materials found on the continent. Brands like Aketekete, a Ghanaian-based luxury brand that specialises in handmade baskets, bags, and jewellery. Each piece is mindfully handcrafted with sustainable natural and recycled materials by local artisan communities. Similarly, SÈKÏ, a Nigerian luxury brand, embraces sustainability through its handcrafted leather bags made by local artisans using locally sourced leather as a byproduct of the meat industry. Also found on ADJOAA brands like M.O.T The Label and Boyeode both use up-cycled denim to give new life to fabrics turning them into intricately made luxury garments that are made to order that can be worn for many more seasons to come!
(Photo Courtesy of @boyedoe_ Instagram)
7 Ways ADJOAA Supports Green Friday
At ADJOAA, we are wholeheartedly committed to making sustainability the new fashion trend. We bring you a wide range of brands and products that are not only sustainable but also highly fashionable. We will give you all the reasons you need to choose wisely with your wallet this year, and here are just some of them:
ADJOAA prioritises responsibly sourced and high-quality materials that have the environment in mind. By partnering with brands that exclusively work with a range of recycled, recyclable, and natural materials, we help to minimise waste and promote a more sustainable fashion lifecycle. Protect your eyes and the planet with brands like Bôhten who use reclaimed wood in their eyewear designs, like the Barklae Maple White Sunglasses, which help to reduce deforestation and waste.
We believe an ethical supply chain begins with the people who bring our collections to life. Each piece is thoughtfully crafted in collaboration with local craftsmen and women, who are ensured with fair living wages and ethical working conditions. We celebrate African heritage by honouring traditional craftsmanship techniques while also providing opportunities for communities to flourish and thrive. For example, brands like Loza Maléombho provide meaningful employment opportunities to skilled local artisans, including shoemakers, weavers, and bronze workers to create stunning footwear like the Fah Reg Plus White Leather Platform Sandal.
Our collections are designed with premium quality and versatility that is made to last and be enjoyed by generations to come. Long-term use ensures that you will save money in the long run while reducing the need for constant wardrobe updates. Transcend any trends with brands like Domina by Michelle, who offers timeless designs like the Starlet Pear Sleeves Midi Dress.
In support of slow fashion, ADJOAA embraces small-batch manufacturing, avoiding unnecessary overproduction and waste. Many of our brands also offer products made for order which ensures that each piece is crafted with special care and precision, minimising environmental impact while offering customisation and exclusivity.
Sustainability is at the heart of every step of our logistic journey, from the hands that bring your order to life to the hands that bring it to your door. With every package, you can enjoy a guilt-free unboxing experience, thanks to our eco-friendly packaging made from recycled paper and compostable bags. It’s a thoughtful touch that ensures your order is as kind to the planet as it is to you.
ADJOAA supports small businesses by scouting, inviting, vetting and aggregating high-quality sustainable brands that take pride in their local sourcing and production operations. By working with nearby artisans and suppliers, we cut down on unnecessary transportation emissions and minimise the carbon footprint of our supply chain.
At ADJOAA, we believe in giving back and do so by investing 1% of our company’s profits to make a positive impact on worldwide communities and the environment. Our green initiatives aim to set-off our carbon footprint and help the environment flourish with tree-planting. We also provide mentoring programs for young Africans and literacy education in select African schools and communities. Additionally, we offer exchange work experience programs to fashion and design graduates to support bright futures.
Green Friday: A Lifestyle
Participating on Green Friday does not mean that you are not purchasing anything. It's about making more conscious decisions on how you spend your hard earned money! There is a misconception that Green Friday means that you cannot purchase anything that is promoted not only on Black Friday but during any other sales period. This is not the case. We encourage you to buy but buy with a purpose. Here are ways that you can be able to do that:
To reduce your carbon footprint and support small businesses shopping local to you is the best way to do this! Buying from farms just a few miles away not only reduces your carbon footprint but it also provides jobs in your community and boosts your local economy! Small businesses also use sustainable business practices like organic farming methods and produce in small batches to reduce waste.
Gift gifting can be stressful! Instead of buying a gift that may not be well received or even used, how about a gift a card from your favourite sustainable business? This way you know that the person in the receiving end will actually buy a sustainable product but also something they will use for many years to come! On ADJOAA give our gift card for any occasion or…just because!
Eliminating single use plastic containers, cups and bags is extremely important. Single use plastic can take hundreds to thousands of years to decompose therefore polluting bodies of water and killing vegetation, animals and affecting human health. Also, because it takes so long to decompose and is used more frequently by large fashion and food retailers, single use plastics take up a lot of space when discarded in landfills where more land is cleared to accommodate this killing of entire ecosystems.
We get it, not everyone can afford to buy new sustainable clothing all the time. One way to be able to still be sustainable but at a lower cost, buy second hand or vintage clothing! In this case you are ensuring that those items do not end up in a landfill and are given a new life!
Like at ADJOAA, donate to tree planting initiatives throughout the year to offset your carbon footprint. Some of our favourite organisations are The Nature Conservancy, One Tree Planted and Arbor Day Foundation to name a few. You can donate as low as $1 to these initiatives; your donations go a long way!
In fashion purchasing garments that can be worn in multiple ways is called modular fashion. Modular fashion is a fantastic way to not only reduce your closet size but also decrease your spending! Buying a garment that can be worn more than three ways for multiple occasions and look completely different is the way to go! Did you know luxury Japanese fashion brand Issey Miyaki is modular? Their garments can be folded and manipulated to create different looks!
For your home, always look for products that have multiple functions. They take up less space and reduce overconsumption!
Global Movements and Foundations Making an Impact:
This Green Friday we encourage you to give back by also taking the opportunity to invest in worthwhile global causes. Here is a list of organisations and movements that we follow that help in educating and supporting a more sustainable lifestyle and society as a whole:
The Or Foundation is a public charity in the USA and Ghana, founded in 2011. They work at the intersection of environmental justice, education, research, fashion, and social equity, aiming to develop sustainable solutions to the current textile waste crisis. In response to the current lack of corporate transparency and readily available data on production volumes from fashion brands, the foundation has now launched their #SpeakVolumes campaign. The campaign encourages consumers to nominate fashion brands to disclose their annual production volumes to help develop better informed, data-driven policies that will support a circular and sustainable economy. You can show support for their valuable work by donating through their website.
Fashion Revolution is a non-for-profit global organisation, founded following the Rana Plaza disaster in 2013, and has become the world’s largest fashion activism movement. The movement aims to end human and environmental exploitation, improve working conditions and wages, build equality and foster a culture of transparency and accountability in the fashion industry. Formed by world citizens from all walks of life, the movement is working together to create cultural, industry, and policy solutions to achieve systemic change. You can support them by donating or taking action by sending an email to 250 of the world’s largest fashion brands using their easy email-a-brand tool here.
Africa Collect Textile (ACT) is an innovative social enterprise based in Kenya, founded by Alex Musembi and Elmar Stroomer. ACT works towards creating circularity in the textile industry through the collection of used and unwanted textiles and footwear, which are then sorted, recycled, upsold, and resold. The venture creates a positive social impact by providing communities with affordable clothing and meaningful employment opportunities. Since its launch, ACT has successfully recycled over 100 tonnes of textiles, marking a significant achievement in reducing waste and pollution while promoting a greener future. Support ACT by donating, buying their unique products, or joining them as an ambassador!
Remake is a global movement, founded by Ayesha Barenblat, advocating for social and environmental justice in the clothing industry. Their campaign efforts focus on supporting living wages, gender equity, climate justice, and policy reform to create systemic changes in the industry. Remake works towards this through education, advocacy, and activism, empowering and uniting consumers to raise more awareness and make informed choices, while pressuring brands and policymakers to adopt ethical and sustainable practices. Support Remake by making donations or take a couple of minutes to sign petitions and endorsements on their website in support of providing garment workers with better working conditions.
Twyg is a South African, non-for-profit, media organisation founded by Jackie May in 2018. The organisation actively promotes a more sustainable, ethical and circular way of being in the fashion industry through their content, workshops, events, and campaigns. Their goal is to inspire, inform, and educate people worldwide while encouraging behavioural and systemic solutions to support positive global change. Some of their notable initiatives include their annual Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards events which celebrate African creative minds for their sustainable innovation in fashion. You can support Twyg by making a donation here.
(Photo Courtesy of botanicalgarden.nl)
By joining the Green Friday movement it does not mean that you cannot buy anything during this period. It means that you are not participating in the marketing initiatives related to Black Friday that negatively affect the environment and violate human rights. By participating in Green Friday, you are purchasing items where the sales benefit all aspects of the supply chain by protecting the environment, artisans and preserving craftsmanship.
Discover sustainable and ethical fashion brands on ADJOAA, home of 100+ Black-owned businesses that are rich in heritage, craftsmanship and implement positive production practices.
Join us on our quest to champion an alternative approach to fashion's current unsustainable practices.
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