Scots have been urged to forget Black Friday and join the “Green Friday revolution” this year by embracing second-hand purchases. Data shows global interest in the annual shopping frenzy has waned – but in Scotland, it’s getting stronger.
New research by PwC has revealed that 41 per cent of Scots are planning to take part in Black Friday sales this year – up from 35 per cent last year – buying brand new goods and adding to the mountain of waste we produce as a nation. But one app is seeking to change all that.
Faircado, a free-to-use browser plug-in, suggests pre-owned purchase options equivalent to ones you are searching for online – making it easier than ever to buy sustainably. For example, if you are searching, “Nike Air Max trainers, size 8” it will offer you a second-hand like for like match.
You can seamlessly find clothes, books, electronics and even furniture second-hand using the plug-in at no extra cost – and often items of higher quality than buying new. Faircado CEO Evolena de Wilde d‘Estmael said: “Frankly, the second-hand market has so much to offer.
“I mean, think about it: if for the same price you could get a pair of fast-fashion shoes that will fall apart after a few months, or a pair of vintage Gucci – what would you choose?” Evolena – who was previously named one of the top 100 women in social enterprise and an EU Climate Pact Ambassador – continued: “Faircado was born in 2021 out of a personal problem.
“I had spent countless hours on second-hand platforms, frustrated about how time consuming and inconvenient it was to buy better. Around that same time, I learned that 9023 smartphones and an entire garbage truck’s worth of clothing are thrown away every second. I couldn’t believe it.
“Faircado has all second-hand offers in one place, offering you a pre-loved alternative. It’s supported across over 1600 sites including Amazon, Patagonia, and Goodreads, and partnered with Vestiaire Collective and eBay.”
PwC’s research found that while Scotland’s appetite for Black Friday is slightly below the UK average, interest has picked up compared to 2023. Some 14 per cent of Scots said they will definitely buy something during the pre-Christmas shopping scramble, while 27 per cent said they “may buy”. Shoppers’ top spending categories were technology (49 per cent), fashion (38 per cent), health and beauty and festive stocking fillers (with both categories on 28 per cent).
But on Black Friday alone, shopping activities in the UK will contribute to 400,000 tons of carbon being released into the atmosphere – the equivalent of 435 round-trip flights from London to New York. A shocking 80 per cent of purchases will also end up in landfills, as many are cheaply produced for quick sale.
Across the globe, an astonishing 5BILLION mobile phones are chucked away every year as an e-waste crisis mounts. Brits each discard an estimated 1kg of textiles every year.
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