Black Friday isn’t a day anymore — it’s a season, complete with pre-pre-sales, “early access” drops, and discounts rolling out before you’ve even finished your Halloween candy. The message is nonstop: buy now, buy fast, buy more. But beneath the glittering facade of sales lies a far messier truth about the perils of consumerism. It’s time to break the compulsive “add to cart” spell that too-good-to-pass-up deals cast upon us. No longer should consumer thrills blind us to their ills wreaking havoc on Mother Nature. Instead, let’s together ghost bad Black Friday habits that not only leave us too feeling wrecked and fraught with regret.
The Olympics of overconsumption
In 2024, Americans spent over $10.8 billion online during Black Friday alone. The aftermath? Mountains of waste — fast-fashion outfits worn twice, gadgets that break before the return window closes, and packaging galore. Retail’s massive Scope 3 emissions make it a quiet climate heavyweight, responsible for over a quarter of global emissions and nearly 40% of the world’s plastic use.We keep buying to fill what can only be described as a Grinch-like void, making his 2001 rant feel uncomfortably accurate: “You wanna know what happens to your gifts? They all come to me. In your garbage..” A 2019 study found that up to 80% of Black Friday purchases are tossed or unused soon after buying. Darkly funny — and painfully true.
So let’s take a cue from the Grinch’s character arc: the magic isn’t in the stuff. With a little intention, you can enjoy the season and decrease your holiday footprint — no landfill required.
Start with the question: “Do you actually need it?“
Before diving into sales, start with some self-interrogation. What do you truly need — not want — right now? Think Maslow, not the microtrend on your FYP. If you do need something, prioritize:
- Secondhand goods
- Brands using sustainable materials
- Companies earnestly cleaning up their act
Better to buy one great thing than four “well, it was good deal” things.
The rise of “no- buy” and Green Friday movements
If you want to go full climate crusader, skip the cart entirely.
Buy Nothing Day
This global anti-consumerism protest invites you to opt out for 24 hours — a pause button on overconsumption.
Patagonia tells shoppers bluntly not to buy their jacket (#DontBuyThisJacket) and pushes repairs over new purchases.
REI literally shutters its stores for #OptOutside, encouraging hikes over hauls. The marketing campaign has been going on for 10+ years as seen below.
Green Friday
A softer approach: buy less, buy better, or choose secondhand.
EarthHero runs 20% off sitewide and donates a portion to environmental nonprofits through their “Give Back Friday.”
Reformation, the climate-neutral cool-girl brand and certified B-Corporation, reduces the discount the more you buy — a built-in brake on overconsumption.
IKEA flips Black Friday into “Green Friday” with buy-back programs, circular design goals, and workshops — part of its plan to be climate-positive by 2030.
Why Secondhand Remains the MVP
If you do shop, secondhand is the easiest, cheapest, least-wasteful win.
ThredUp has diverted 200 million items from landfills and cut millions of pounds of CO₂e — the equivalent of 34,000 trips around the world. About 91% of what they receive is resold; the rest goes to Rescue/Aftermath programs.
Deal: Up to 70% off with code THANKFUL70.
Mercari avoided 690,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions according to its 2025 report.
Deal: 50% off doorbusters Nov. 28; 30% off #Drops.
Prefer IRL? Thrift at Goodwill, Salvation Army, or Savers while donating items — instant declutter, instant community impact.
Why fabric choice matters
Natural fibers like cotton and linen break down; polyester doesn’t — it sheds microplastics that end up in oceans, soil, even our food.
If you’re buying new, below are two brands sold at Macy’s, which, despite past waste issues, is working to divert 80% of operational waste.
- Eileen Fisher uses eco-friendly, biodegradable materials in rigorously regulated factories.
- Pact Apparel offers Fair Trade organic-cotton staples.
On the other hand, if you’re in the market for one type of sartorial product, such as shoes, several brands show great promise.
- Allbirds uses sustainable materials and recyclable packaging, offers regenerative wool and a net-zero shoe line, and on Black Friday has raised prices slightly to curb overconsumption while donating to climate causes.
- Adidas, a sportswear giant turning trash into treasure—literally—by using recycled materials and partnering on lines made from reclaimed plastic pollution.
Most companies say they care about sustainability, but an Oxford Economics study shows fewer than 20% are actually on track to meet 1.5°C-aligned emissions cuts. Promises ≠ progress.
Retailers making a genuine effort to clean up
Some big names are cleaning up their act— slowly but meaningfully.
Sephora runs on 100% renewable energy, diverts waste, restricts harmful ingredients, and uses more sustainable packaging.
H&M, despite fast-fashion baggage, is improving via recycled lines, decarbonization investments, and circularity initiatives.
Walmart is surprisingly green-forward, investing in renewable energy, low-impact packaging, and supply-chain sustainability, with a zero-emissions 2040 target.
Amazon now uses Climate Pledge Friendly badges, “Frustration-Free” recyclable packaging, and options to consolidate or slow shipping.
Should you shop in-store to cut shipping emissions?
Online shopping fuels a shipping bonanza: fleets of trucks, tons of plastic mailers, and comically oversized boxes. If you’re able, shopping in-store reduces shipping-related emissions and helps avoid returns — which can have footprints 30% higher than the initial delivery.
As long as you’re not sick and a danger to anyone else, opt for in-store shopping. The couple bruises you endure may be worth the carbon emissions you reduce from avoiding the environmental costs of shipping items. Plus, it’s a fair trade if you get to skip the sciatica flare up from sitting at your laptop and the carpal tunnel from doom-clicking “add to cart.”
How to spot greenwashing (so you don’t get played)
Watch for:
- Vague claims like “clean,” “natural,” or “eco-friendly” without proof.
- Opaque operations with zero clarity on materials, labor, supply chain, or ingredients.
- Packaging theater, where the brand flaunts recyclable packaging but the product itself is environmental chaos.
You don’t need to cram a year’s worth of consumerism into one chaotic weekend (or week for that matter). Ethical and sustainability brands run sales all year. Spread out purchases, avoid scarcity messaging (“low stock!”), and pause before clicking — your wallet and the planet will thank you.
How the grinch saved your cart
Black Friday may still feel like the Olympics of overconsumption, but here’s the twist: you don’t have to compete. Instead of sprinting toward the best deal, maybe the winning move is… not playing.
If you shop thoughtfully — or skip shopping altogether — you might just find your heart swelling two sizes instead of shrinking into a ball of buyer’s remorse. Even the Grinch figured out the season wasn’t about the haul.
And who knows?
This year, the only thing overflowing might be your sense of peace… not your recycling bin.
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