The Horrors of Black Friday’s Fast Fashion: What You Need to Know
Black Friday is around the corner, bringing flashing signs, endless ads, and shopping frenzies. It's hailed as the ultimate deal day, with millions spent worldwide on discounts we can’t seem to resist. But behind the glitz and savings lies a darker reality: hyper-consumerism's human and environmental toll, especially with fast fashion. In this blog article, I will break down the hidden costs of Black Friday’s fast fashion—and, more importantly, what we can do about it.
The Human Cost: Exploitation Behind the Deals
Fast fashion is built on a foundation of exploitation, and Black Friday makes it worse. Here’s how:
Poverty wages: Garment workers, mostly in developing countries, often earn just a few cents per item, and are forced to work up to 18-hour shifts to meet high quota demands.
Unsafe conditions: Factories push workers to the brink during Black Friday production surges, prioritizing profits over safety versus the well-being of workers.
Delivery stress: Even workers in fulfillment centers like Amazon face grueling hours to meet shipping deadlines. Trucks are dispatched every 93 seconds on Black Friday, leaving workers overworked and underpaid to get packages shipped on time.
But where does the profit go? Into the pockets of billionaires—not the workers who make or deliver your clothes.
The Environmental Toll: A Planet Under Pressure
Fast fashion is one of the most polluting industries, and Black Friday takes this to another level:
Clothing waste: Normally every second a truckload of clothing ends up in landfills. Many of these garments are made of synthetic materials like polyester and take centuries to decompose. Adding Black Friday into the mix only adds to the fire.
Shipping emissions: Black Friday’s delivery demands contribute significantly to global carbon emissions, with returns adding to the pollution.
Overproduction: Brands flood the market with items, 80% of which are discarded after a few uses or no use at all. The planet is being flooded with goods we don’t need at an even faster rate to create demand for Black Friday.
Overconsumption: The Hidden Cost
Black Friday isn’t just bad for workers and the environment—it also preys on us the consumers:
Impulse buying: Flashy discounts encourage us to buy more than we need. Studies show the average piece of clothing is only worn seven times before being discarded.
Waste burden: Our unwanted purchases end up in thrift stores, landfills, or in the Global South, creating a cycle of waste. It also makes us spend money on things we don’t need and indebt us if purchases are made on a credit card.
Cultural impact: Black Friday shifts focus from gratitude and relationships to materialistic goods with people even skipping Thanksgiving traditions to camp out for deals.
However some of these sales provide necessary affordability, but that doesn’t excuse the systemic harm caused by overconsumption and exploitation.
Breaking the Cycle: What You Can Do
Ready to opt out of Black Friday’s harmful cycle? Here’s how:
1. Shop Responsibly
Thrift and upcycle: Find unique secondhand pieces that don’t contribute to overproduction.
Invest in quality: Choose durable items you love and will wear for years.
Repair and reuse: Before buying, check if you can repair or repurpose what you already own.
2. Support Better Practices
Choose ethical brands: Use resources like Good On You to identify truly sustainable options.
Hold corporations accountable: Call out greenwashing and demand better practices in the fashion industry.
3. Build Community
Host a clothing swap: Refresh your wardrobe sustainably and connect with others.
Advocate for change: Join movements that challenge exploitative systems and support garment workers.
A Brighter Future than Black Friday
Black Friday doesn’t have to mean exploitation and waste. By making thoughtful choices, we can:
Reduce our environmental impact.
Support workers and artisans.
Shift the focus from materialism to meaningful connections.
Remember, every purchase is a vote for the world you want to live in. Let’s make this Black Friday one of intentionality and impact. Let’s continue building the movement for ethical fashion—one conscious choice at a time!