Rethinking Black Friday: Turning a Consumer Holiday into a Conscious On
Black Friday has become the unofficial holiday of bargain hunting—an adrenaline-powered rush of deals, doorbusters, and overflowing shopping carts. But as the day grows bigger each year, so does its environmental footprint. From fast-fashion hauls to mountains of packaging waste, the frenzy often overshadows the real cost of our consumption. Yet Black Friday doesn’t have to conflict with conscious living. With a bit of intention, savvy planning, and a shift in mindset, it can actually be an opportunity to shop smarter, support greener businesses, and reduce waste. Here’s how to approach Black Friday sustainably—without sacrificing the thrill of a good deal.
Can Black Friday be Sustainable?
The message is everywhere: buy now, buy fast, buy more.
In 2024 alone, Americans spent over $10.5 billion online during Black Friday. Many of those purchases were made on impulse, driven by scarcity language and flashy discounts. Black Friday is a cycle of overconsumption that fuels waste, fast production, and carbon-heavy shipping.
Countless returns often end up in landfills due to cheap, synthetic materials that break down into microplastics. The unsustainable manufacturing practices drain resources, and packaging waste piles up faster than we can recycle it.
How to Shop Sustainably:
1-Avoid the Most Commonly Returned Items
Returns are a hidden environmental cost. Instead, opt for products you are sure to keep, reducing the impact of transportation and packaging. Some of the most returned items are apparel and technology products.
2-Invest in quality, not quantity
Having a sustainable mindset starts with choosing quality over quantity. Items built to last reduce the need for frequent replacements. Shopping like this diminishes manufacturing demand and waste.
3-Support Sustainable Brands
Choose to spend your money on brands that prioritize sustainability. Companies that are transparent about their supply chains, invest in eco-friendly materials, and take responsibility for their environmental impact are brands you should want to support. Supporting these brands makes a statement about your values and encourages more businesses to follow suit.
4-Look for Organic and Nontoxic Certifications
Some reliable certifications to look for include Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Global Organic Latex Standard, EWG Verified, Made Safe, Greenguard Gold, Forest Stewardship Council, and Organic Content Standard. These aren’t just labels; they’re assurances that the products you buy meet stringent organic and non-toxic standards.
5-Packaging Counts
The packaging your purchases arrive in is often an overlooked aspect of a product’s sustainability. Instead, seek out items with minimal to no packaging or packaging that is recyclable or compostable. You’re not just buying a product; you’re also investing in better packaging practices.
The Best Black Friday Sales From Sustainable Brands:
Mate the Label:
The B-Corp Certified clean clothing brand is offering 30% off sitewide for a limited time, no coupon code needed. Some of their most popular products are their organic socks and PEAS-Free activewear, each being highly rated.
Items from Mate the Label are sustainably made with non-toxic, natural, and organic materials. The brand's goal is to provide people everywhere with essentials that are clean from seed to skin. If you’re looking for clean, essential styles, organic, ethical, woman-centered, plastic-free, circular, and certified in all things sustainably, shop Mate the Label.
Alterre:
From November 18th to December 2nd, you can save up to 75% off sitewide, no codes needed.
Alterre offers customizable women’s shoes that are made with sustainability at their core. All boots are ethically produced and Butterfly Mark Certified, demonstrating their excellence in sustainability. Other sustainable efforts they make include giving back to Restore NYC, offering repair solutions, and donating used shoes instead of destroying them.
AMO Denim:
From November 26th to December 1st, get 30% off sitewide, including their cult favorite jeans—no codes required to secure this excellent deal.
Denim designed by women, made from fabric sourced responsibly from high-quality mills to create authentic and refined wardrobe staples. Each pair of jeans from AMO Denim is skillfully crafted in Los Angeles.
Fundae:
Offering festive, sustainable styles, Fundae is offering 20% off sitewide now through December 5th. To get this deal, use code GOODTRADE20 at checkout. Fundae offers fabulous eco-conscious shoes you should definitely check out.
Fundae is a plant-positive brand that uses eco-bio-materials, practices intentional consumerism, prioritizes sustainability, and has a positive global imprint. As a brand, they’re on a mission to reverse the adverse effects of fast fashion that are polluting our oceans and land. Each pair of shoes is truly vegan, made exclusively from vegetables and recycled/upcycled materials.
Jenny Lemons:
Starting November 24th through December 1st, get 30% sitewide with code STUFFED at checkout. Give those you love the perfect stocking stuffers of cute and quirky hair accessories.
Crafted from eco-friendly, plant-based cellulose acetate, while still being lovingly handmade and hand-painted. Jenny Lemons' products are designed to celebrate your quirky side and bring a smile to your face. Each product is made to withstand almost anything. All products are created in San Francisco and ethically made in China.
Well People:
Well People are kicking off their Black Friday with an exclusive early access event. This event runs from November 26th to November 27th. Use code HOLIDAY25 to get 25% off sitewide of your clean beauty favorites. For the actual Black Friday event, the 27th through the 30th of November, you can also still get 25% sitewide.
Well People specializes in clean beauty powered by plants. Each product is dermatologist-developed, vegan, cruelty-free, Fair Trade Certified, and pregnancy-friendly. These high-performance makeup artist-tested products are perfect for everyone, whether they’re a beginner or an experienced makeup user.
Cocokind:
Plant-powered, conscious skincare for all skin types, Cocokind is offering an incredible 25% sitewide deal from November 23rd through December 1st. Purchases over $75 get Cocokind’s new Be Magnetic lip balm. Purchases of $100 or more will receive the lip balm plus a limited-edition bluree makeup bag. There’s nothing better than a good deal and a gift, along with great skincare for a great price to begin with.
Cocokind is as transparent as possible with customers about what goes into its products. Each product's packaging includes sustainability stats that break down its lifecycle carbon footprint.
Dedcool:
Dedcool is a vegan, genderless fragrance brand offering 30% off all your favorite scents, available from November 21st to December 1st.
As a brand, Dedcool makes scents to live in. Each fragrance has vegan and cruelty-free ingredients. These products are also biodegradable, with byproducts breaking down naturally into the environment. All of their manufacturing and warehousing facilities are certified carbon neutral. All scents are made with plant-based ingredients, clean, safe, carbon-neutral, and long-lasting.
Sunniemade:
A sustainable personal care brand carrying products like shampoo bars and bar soap, offering 25% off sitewide with code GOODTRADE25, starting November 21st through December 1st.
Sunniemade products are plastic-free, recyclable, packaged in compostable materials, and shipped carbon-neutral. All products are certified green. As a brand, they’re also a Plastic Pollution Coalition Business Member. Each product is paraben-free, phthalate-free, vegan, donates to 1% For the Planet, made from a woman-owned business, and cruelty-free. Sunniemade’s motto is plants not plastic.
For more brands to shop this Black Friday, Click Here!
Black Friday will always be a magnet for deals, but how we participate is entirely up to us. By choosing thoughtful purchases, supporting ethical brands, and resisting the pressure to buy just for the sake of buying, we can turn the biggest shopping day of the year into a win for both our wallets and the planet. Sustainable choices aren’t about perfection—they’re about progress. And every mindful purchase sends a message about the kind of future we want to invest in. So this year, let your Black Friday haul reflect not just great prices, but great values.
