Putting Some Gray in Black Friday.
by Heath Massey and Joan Blades
The day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) is the biggest shopping day of the year and most Black Friday commerce involves internet purchases of new, single-use items that are shipped long distances in wasteful packaging, which is not a good deal for the planet. Here are some mind-blowing statistics from Black Friday Consumption in 2022.
Have you ever bitten your tongue at the Thanksgiving dinner table as the conversation turned to holiday shopping? Maybe you see yourself in this hilarious fake Target ad courtesy of Saturday Night Live?
One solution is to avoid “difficult” subjects over the holidays. But a good conversation is an alternative to no conversation. So I reached out to Joan Blades, co-founder of Living Room Conversations and she offered some great tips to help us have meaningful conversations about shopping this year.
First tip is to approach the conversation as an exercise in listening, rather than persuasion. People don’t respond well to being told how to think or what to do, but in listening mode we can all learn a few things, as well as express our own heartfelt concerns. You might start by reading the Living Room Conversations Friends and Family Guide, for a generally helpful mindset as we approach the holidays.
And here are some specific guidelines for a conversation about “shopping” this year. . . .
Everybody reads this paragraph, to set the stage for a conversation about Black Friday shopping:
The day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) is the biggest shopping day of the year. Many of us look forward to beginning our holiday shopping on that day, to finding good deals, the fun of browsing, developing holiday wish lists and kicking off the holiday season. Others worry that consumerism is degrading the planet and creating excessive waste. Let’s have a conversation about various approaches to holiday shopping this year.
And here are some questions to start the conversation (add your own!):
What are some basic values that shape/guide your holiday shopping and gift-giving?
Do different age groups and/or cultural groups approach gift-giving differently?
What do you think about exchanging used or repaired items as gifts (what are the stigmas surrounding “re-gifting,” White Elephant gift exchanges vs. giving “real” gifts, etc.)?
What do you do with a gift that is out of line with your values (without causing offense to the gift-giver)?
What are some fun and creative ways to give gifts sustainably?
Note: Living Room Conversations has a long list of guidelines for conversations on various topics. There’s also a guide for creating your own topic. Watch for a conversation specifically about “consumerism” coming soon!
Happy Conversing to All! We’d love to hear about your Black Friday conversations… Share them with us here!
(Joan Blades is a co-founder of Living Room Conversations)
Upcoming Reuse Events
November 25 : Petaluma Toy Swap
Bring a toy, take a toy! At our Toy Swap at Grand Central Petaluma Cafe on the banks of the Petaluma River while Santa floats by. Or shop one of the many reuse stores in Downtown Petaluma and bring your gift to Grand Central Petaluma to be wrapped in Reusable Fabric Wrapping benefitting Reuse Alliance!
Multiple Dates : Reusable Fabric Gift Wrapping
This holiday season reduce waste while supporting Reuse Alliance. We will be providing Reusable Fabric Gift Wrapping as a perk when you donate to Reuse Alliance. Find us at the Goddess Crafts Faire at the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center December 2 + 3 and at the North Coast Regional Winter Market at Wild Oat Hollow Farm on December 9th and more! Want Reusable Gift Wrapping at your store or event? Reach out to info@reusealliance.org .
December 5 + 6 : NRC Congress (virtual)
The annual National Recycling Coalition Congress is virtual this year. Look for some Reuse content on the program on December 5th.
Reuse in the News
The Financial Times reports on the World’s Best Repair Shops, and the Fall Issue of Craftsmanship Magazine is all about Repair.
The Biden-Harris Administration is supporting the reuse of offices as housing.
Reuse to Amuse
I’m going to put Donations to Reuse Alliance on my SoKind Registry… but I will also accept foot rubs.
If you’re in LA or NYC you’re lucky you can use these maps GEM made to find all the vintage stores…
Some data from the recent Petaluma Repair Fair. In just three hours, look what we can accomplish…just think if they happened every week!
Help us make Reuse + Repair Fairs as common as Farmer’s Markets. Donate to the Campaign.
