First things first, UP Cycle Design wants to wish everyone a Happy (belated) Thanksgiving! We hope the turkey, ham, or impossible turkey/ ham was delightful, the mashed taters were fluffy, the veggies fresh, and the dessert impeccable! And hopefully some relaxing time with our friends and family was well spent. Today, we want to take you through some thoughts about sustainability during Black Friday, and discuss how you can support small businesses through Small Business Saturday.
Before the post starts, us here at UP Cycle want to share what we are thankful for:
Jonna: “I’m thankful for family, friends and good health!
Sierra: “I’m so incredibly grateful for my supportive parents, friends, and this amazing UP Cycle Design team and community that are helping to build the dream company that I’ve always wanted to bring into the world!”
Ȍyku: “I’m thankful for my family in Turkey and my best friend’s family in the US who accepts me like their own daughter! I’m also thankful for my friends who are my support system and thankful to be a part of the UP Cycle team and making an impact!
Todd: “I’m thankful for friends, family, good health, graduating in less than a month and being part of a team that’s helping save the planet!”
Riciah: “I’m thankful for my friends and family as they have supported me throughout this whole year. I am thankful for the UP Cycle team, you guys are like my older siblings. Most importantly, I am thankful for the food I will be eating on Thanksgiving.”
Max: “I am thankful for my friends, grateful that UD gave me multiple scholarships and that my roommates are easy to live with. I’m thankful that despite everything I’m set to receive a degree and will have a marketable skill set.”
Happy Thanksgiving from us to you!
Black Friday
Black Friday is probably the busiest day of the year for consumerism. Originating back in the 1950s, Black Friday has only continued to grow and grow, extending beyond the day to the accompanying weekend up to Cyber Monday, and sometimes up to two weeks beforehand. At Target where I work, we have Black Friday All Week Long (RIP to us team members). Black Friday also confuses me, because we spend the day before stating that we’re all thankful for what we have, and then it’s immediately about what we don’t have. But, I digress.
As you could have guessed, Black Friday is not the most sustainable day of the year. Last year, consumers spent $9 billion online, 21.6% higher than in 2019, according to an article from activesustainability.com. This was the highest number in Black Friday history, which means tons of shipping and transporting items across the country. If an item was returned, that means double the transporting. That same article states that 15 million tons of CO2 were released into the air in the US from returns alone.
Having a lot of items being shipped also means an increase in trash. Think of all the cardboard and plastic that is involved with shipping and transport. That will all end up somewhere in the environment if not recycled or disposed of properly.
Although it seems like I’m saying Black Friday is a bad thing, it’s not all that bad, just bad for the environment. Our tip is to just think about what you are buying and ask yourself: “Do I really need this?”
Small Business Saturday
If you did want to take advantage of sales this weekend, I encourage everybody to take advantage of Small Business Saturday (SBS) to support your local small businesses and communities! SBS was founded by American Express in 2010, and since then it has grown to be almost as big as Black Friday. Since its inception, consumers have spent about $140 billion supporting their local communities.
If you have a small business, I suggest checking out this article that contains tips and tricks to make your SBS a banger!
And lastly, allow me to provide some free marketing and promote small businesses that I really enjoy and support:
UP Cycle Design (Of course!) Check out our shop: Shop
T^2 Apothecary: My good friend Theresa makes these really cool candles by upcycling vintage tea cups and glassware! Here’s her Etsy: TsquaredApothecary
Drip Cafe: If you’re local to the DE area, this little cafe is perfect for coffee or a good meal! Greg the owner has supported the community from the beginning, so go check them out: https://dripcafede.com
4Ocean: If you want to support a global ocean clean-up while supporting a small business that is quickly growing, purchase some of 4Ocean’s incredible jewelry or apparel made from reclaimed ocean plastic: https://www.4ocean.com
NerdItNow: Repairs all of your broken tech while supporting the community! The Founder Markevis started a foundation to give back tech that’s powered by their for-profit arm, so go support! Check them out: https://nerditnow.com
*Candles made by my friend Theresa!*
So there, I think I covered it all. I hope everyone’s Thanksgiving was nice and relaxing. If you go out today for Black Friday, stay safe and shop smart and sustainably! And don’t forget to support your local businesses and communities this Small Business Saturday!
As always, thank you for reading and supporting us, and happy start to the holidays!
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