Turn Black Friday green!

Black Friday discount promotions have literally overwhelmed the online and offline world this November. Low prices on a range of products may look tempting to shoppers, but have you ever thought about the environmental impact of Black Friday? That's why we've put together some interesting facts about this "shopping holiday" and some tips on how to shop with your wallet and the environment in mind.

Black Friday is a term that has been used since the 1950s for the day after American Thanksgiving. It is the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, associated with big discounts, sales, promotions and extended store hours. But as you can see, Black Friday, especially in recent years, doesn't last just one day. Often you will see BF promotions for weekends, weeks and sometimes even a month. And why Black Friday? Thanks to the profits, merchants go from "red" to "black numbers" during this period, which means that after a full year of expenses, they start making money.

Thanks to Black Friday, we can buy things we've been thinking about for a long time at great prices. Or things that aren't normally available to us. However, people often succumb to the pressure of "irresistible deals" and mindlessly and unnecessarily buy items they don't really need. Alternatively, they buy low-quality products, so that after a while of use they go in the trash. However, this pattern of consumerism, which encourages the production and sale of fast-moving consumer goods, is unsustainable on a mass and long-term scale. And a large 'slice of the pie' in this direction is taken by clothes from the so-called fast fashion chains.

 A few facts from the world of fast fashion

• In 2022, 100 billion pieces of clothing will have been made. Of these, 92 million tonnes became waste. So we can say that every second a truckload of clothes ends up in a landfill.
• Millions of tonnes of returned clothes also go to the rubbish dumps. This is because it is cheaper for companies to throw them away than to put them back in the market.
• If fast fashion shopping trends continue at their current rate, it is estimated that global emissions from the garment industry will increase by 50 % by 2030.
• Many clothes are made from materials such as nylon or polyester (they are cheap and durable). However, when they are washed and tumble dried, they release microfibres that end up in the hydrological system. Because of this, almost 10 % of the microplastics in the oceans come from textiles. This is equivalent to the pollution from more than 50 billion plastic bottles.
• Clothes are increasingly being thrown away. The number of times each piece has been worn has decreased by about 36% over the last 15 years. So we only wear one item seven to ten times and then it goes to waste.
• Fast fashion chains have doubled their production in the last 20 years. This has also led to a dramatic increase in textile waste not only after production but also during production. It is estimated that as much as 15% of the fabric in sweatshops goes to waste.

Note: Source of information Fashion Revolution and Earth Org.

How to shop with the environment in mind

Give preference to eco-friendly materials
Focus on goods made from paper, wood, glass, cotton, hemp canvas, etc. This means materials that are environmentally friendly and easily recyclable. Packaging also plays a big role. In this respect, sustainability, for example in the form of paper, also clearly wins out over a lot of plastic.

Ask for the product story
It is very easy to put an eco, organic or even your own sustainability label on a product. So ask if it's not just a fancy label. And whether the thing you are about to buy is the result of an ethical and ecological journey. Where was it made? Under what conditions? With what materials? Where will it be sent from? You should get a clear answer to all these questions.

Shop for timeless pieces that will last
Don't get swept up in the 'fashion waves' that change with almost lightning speed in the malls, and buy items that you can wear across trends. Likewise, buy items that are well-made and made from quality materials. That's the only way to make sure your clothes won't show wrinkles, holes or seams on your shirt after a few washes. In short, choose quality over quantity.

   Get inspired

Barefoot shoes that will delight yourself, your loved ones and nature can be found in Bohempia e-shop. All our products are made with integrity, by hand and with the environment in mind.

Right now we have a special GREEN FRIDAY BOHEMPIA promotion with 20 % discount on everything! You can also use it to buy sustainable Christmas gifts.