Hi John,

 

Today is Black Friday -- one of the busiest online shopping days of the year.

 

But I wanted to reflect on the darker side of Black Friday: plastic waste. 

 

A 2019 report warned that up to 80% of purchases made on Black Friday end up in landfill, being incinerated or as low quality recycling [1]. These items often arrive in plastic packaging.

 

John -- Greenpeace is campaigning for an ambitious Global Plastic Treaty to curb the obscene levels of plastic pollution caused by overproduction, and the lack of government action to stop it. Can you chip in today? It takes just one minute:

Here is the email I sent you earlier this week on the plastic waste crisis:

 

Hi John,

 

I’m sure your inbox is as full as mine with Black Friday ‘deals’ - brands promising the moon on a stick at unbelievable prices.

 

Do they think we’ve forgotten the Which? report that showed 98% of ‘sale’ items were the same price or cheaper in the 6 months after Black Friday? [2]

 

Or last year’s Greenpeace investigation which showed Amazon sending thousands of new products to landfill simply because they were unsold? [3]

 

I wonder what the true cost of Black Friday will be this year. For me as a consumer, and for our green planet.

 

John -- lots of brands might be bombarding you this week ahead of Black Friday. But nothing is more urgent or impactful than joining our movement. Greenpeace is proudly independent from corporate or government support so we rely on supporter generosity. Can you chip in a few pounds today?

Plastic pollution is one of the defining issues of our time. It’s a huge problem that’s made worse by the excess consumption Black Friday encourages, especially when items that are delivered often arrive in layers of single use plastic.

 

Microplastics are in our food and for the first time ever, they were detected in human blood. [4] A truckload of plastic enters the ocean every single minute and the UK produces more plastic waste per person than almost any other country. [5]

 

It’s a problem that’s on an unmanageable scale. Our investigation, The Big Plastic Count, found that only 12% of plastic packaging waste is likely to be recycled in the UK. [6]

 

John -- will you take a stand against plastic pollution this Black Friday? We’re ramping up the fight against the buy it and chuck it culture that’s fuelled by overproduction. Will you contribute to our campaign for a Global Plastic Treaty?

As Greenpeace is funded by supporters like you, we’re a people-powered movement. It’s what’s allowed us to take on the worst corporate polluters and win. Next year, we’ll be working towards a Global Plastic Treaty to take us on a huge step towards a plastic free future. Will you join us?

 

Let’s stand together to help turn the tide on plastic pollution this Black Friday.

 

Thanks, as always, for your support,

 

Grace

Greenpeace UK

 

NOTES

[1] Let’s Make Black Friday Green – The Environmental Impact of Black Friday

[2] 99.5% of Black Friday 'deals' cheaper or the same price at other times of the year

[3] Greenpeace investigation finds Amazon destroying unsold stock

[4] Microplastics found in human blood for first time

[5] Greenpeace UK - Plastic pollution 

[6] The Big Plastic Count Results: How citizen science exposed a system incapable of tackling the plastic crisis

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