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EPIB Trail
Volume 12, Issue 3
Are the Deals Really Worth it? By Natalia Binkowski Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is playing everywhere you go, painfully long lines, and mediocre deals - it’s that time of year! Every year, people get excited for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. They make lists of things they just need to buy. They fight their way through crowds for the hottest items on sale. They make sure that they are connected to the fastest Wi-Fi and that their credit cards ready. Many people are so focused on the deals that they don’t think about any of the impacts that Black Friday and Cyber Monday may have - especially on the environment. One of the main problems when it comes to these crazy days of deals is the massive amount of shipping that must be done. The “U.S. Post Office estimates they'll deliver 15 billion pieces of mail and 900 million packages between Thanksgiving and the New Year” (Gibbens). Places like Amazon and Walmart get a huge influx of orders that must be fulfilled quickly because of expedited shipping options. Last year, Amazon revealed that “customers ordered more than 180 million items during the five days from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday” (Picchi). This is just from Amazon alone. Because two-day shipping is free for Amazon Prime members, lots of people choose this option (CBC News). In turn, this affects the environment negatively because of increased carbon emissions due to things like manufacturing, transportation, and all else. Some of the most commonly purchased items during these sales tend to be electronics. People buy new phones, computers, tablets, and televisions, but eventually these electronics will turn into electronic waste (e-waste). “Only about 20 percent of e-waste is recycled” (Gibbens), which means that the rest that is thrown into landfills has the potential of leaking toxic chemicals into the soil, water, and air. Next, clothes are also a popular purchase for many people. Most people go to malls where they sell clothes rapidly and in large quantities - this is fast fashion. Fast fashion is damaging to our environment as, “every year, global emissions from textile production are equivalent to 1.2 billion tons of CO2” (Chinasamy). During the holidays, there is generally a large overconsumption of unnecessary goods. Overall, “fashion production uses lots of precious fresh water and pollutes rivers and seas with toxic chemicals” (Brodde), which can be prevented with more awareness and less demand.
