How to Make Black Friday Green

What you can buy:

Black Friday is a great time to find deals on Energy Star-Rated appliances and electronics – washers and dryers, televisions, laptops. Energy Star appliances use less energy and are therefore more energy efficient than non-Energy Star labeled appliances, saving you money on electricity costs and enabling you to do your part to protect the environment through everyday home items. Combine that with the great deal you’ll get on Black Friday, and you’ll be swimming in savings! You can find Black Friday deals on Energy Star products at all major retailers like Sears, Best Buy, and Target. We also encourage you to check your local retailers.

Smart Thermostats are also on sale at most major retailers and are a great way to save money on electricity costs. The Nest Smart Thermostat is on sale for $199 (normally $250) at Amazon and Target.

Where you can buy:

These are just a few of our favorites that have online deals on Black Friday. We encourage you to search for Black Friday deals at your local small businesses as well.

Bambeco – Bambeco makes sustainable home goods. Perfect for holiday gifts for your friends and family with good taste in home design and good taste in sustainability. This Black Friday, they’re offering 30% off all holiday décor. Plus, for every purchase made, they plant a tree. How’s that for net-positive?

Origins Cosmetics – Origins not only creates great cosmetics and skincare products, but they are also committed to a healthier environment. They use recycled containers for packaging, have renewable energy at many of their sites, and have teamed up with American Forests’ Global ReLeaf to plant trees. To date, Origins has planted over 500,000 trees around the world. We can’t wait to see what their Black Friday deals are this year, because if it’s anything like 2015, you are in for an all-natural treat.

Paper Culture – In need of holiday cards to send to friends and family, but not keen on wasting paper? Paper Culture uses post-consumer waste and wood alternatives to create their stunning stationery, and they are committed to offsetting the carbon footprint they create by planting trees. Last year, Paper Culture offered 50% off all holiday cards. Keep a look out for the deals this year!

EcoLustre – Jewelry that is beautiful, trendy, and sustainably made? Yes, please! EcoLustre features jewelry that is made from recycled materials, upcycled materials, and using low-energy use techniques. Keep a look out for sales and deals, such as free shipping on Cyber Monday and “Fair Tuesday,” the Tuesday after Black Friday – a growing trend to promote fair trade and locally sourced products.

How you can buy:

Just because you’re shopping and may not be practicing “Reduce” of the three “Rs,” doesn’t mean you can’t shop sustainably. Here are a few tips for you to keep your carbon footprint down on the biggest shopping day of the year:

1. Bring re-usable shopping bags. Cut down on all that plastic and bring your own bags to stuff with your eco-friendly gifts. Encourage your shopping buddies to do the same!
2. Walk, bike, take public transit, or carpool to the stores. Bonus points if you carpool in an electric vehicle.
3. Find online retailers or stores that use carbon-free or carbon-reduced shipping, like Bambeco.
4. Avoid gifts with excess packaging, and look for gifts made of recycled materials.
5. Find deals on non-material gifts, such as events or spa visits.

Happy Shopping!