Go Green On Black Friday

• Buy only what you, or the person you’re giving to, needs. Black Friday can be a great day to save on necessities (though it depends what your definition of necessary is). Ask your friends and family what gifts they could really put to use, instead of buying things because they’re fun or cute.
• Buy from local, small business. They need your support more than the big companies do, and they’re usually more eco-friendly.
• Look for things that have minimal packaging, or no packaging at all (donation, classes, online subscriptions, etc.)
• Buy products that were made in America.
• If you go out to shop on Black Friday, map out your destinations before you leave. Try to plan so that you’re going to places close to home and close together. Park your car once and walk to each store. Carpool with friends, or offer to bring them along with you.
• Shopping online can be more eco-friendly (versus driving), and you might find better deals (see below). “to have 10 pounds of packages shipped by overnight air uses 40 percent less fuel than driving yourself round-trip to the mall, according to the Center for Energy and Climate Solutions.”
• Bring your own shopping bags.
• Limit your shopping to a few hours, and spend the rest of the day with your family and friends! If a deal requires waiting in a long line, ask yourself if it’s really worth the time you’re spending.
• Shopping lends itself to eating out, so be prepared and bring your own water bottle, coffee mug, utensils, napkin, and/or to-go container.
• Why not buy gifts second hand? You’ll save money and recycle at the same time! Many cities have second-hand stores, and you can also go to garage sales. If you live in a big city, look for estate sales for really nice stuff.

Here are some green companies with Black Friday deals:

• Art of Tea is offering 25% off (code GOBBLEGOBBLE)
• Beautorium is doing a “7 for $10” promotion – find organic beauty products there.
• Faeries Dance is offering 15% off any order (use code BlackFriday09 at checkout). Their recycled jewelry would be a great gift.
• GreenSmart is offering 25% off (code GSTW25). They have a whole bunch of useful products.
• Nest in Maryland is offering 20% off from 9am-11am, then 10% for the rest of the day.
• Nimli is offering 25% off (code BLACKFRIDAY09) They have all sorts of great green products.
• PineMark offers discounts on all sorts of eco-friendly companies.
• Seed Sucker is offering 30% your order (use code BF30). They sell green clothing
• Strawberry Hedgehog is offering free shipping on orders over $75 (if you’re in AZ you get it with orders over $50). She sells wonderful bath and body products.
• ThredUP is offering 80% off 3 envelopes (use code GREENFRIDAY)

Image by 4nitsirk.