Wait out the normal delivery time instead, it will get there eventually. If you do find yourself tempted by this week's sales, there are a few things you can keep in mind to minimise your carbon footprint, while supporting local businesses along the way.Įxpedited shipping, like the two-day option provided to Amazon Prime members, has a much larger carbon footprint than regular delivery, employing planes, trains, and too many automobiles to get your item to you in time. It’s difficult to resist the urge to purchase something during the sales however, as research shows they’re designed specifically to create a sense of urgency and panic, triggering us to think we’re missing out if we don’t secure the deals we come across. That’s a lot of factory production, a lot of lorries releasing toxins into the air, and a whole lot of packaging. The shipping process involved in delivering Black Friday packages leaves a massive impact on the environment.

While all of this may be good for big companies, it’s detrimental to the environment, with the US Postal Service estimating it’ll deliver over 900 million packages after this week and An Post already delivering 2.5 million parcels per week here at home.

New research from suggests that this year, 60% of us plan to shop online in the sales, one of the highest percentages around.Īnd we’re not the only ones doing damage, with Chinese consumers spending a record-breaking €47 billion during Singles Day, Alibaba’s version of Black Friday, earlier this month. More and more retailers are beginning to take part this side of the pond too, with Irish consumers spending around €250 million on Black Friday and Cyber Monday last year.

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