Just last week, Black Friday once again took place in stores all over. Before the pandemic, lines of people stretching throughout the store were common, and even during COVID-19, people still go out to shop for things that they don’t really need. Today, Cyber Monday, will likely see even more people going online to shop for new items for their home. These two days in November will cause carbon emissions to sky rocket. Why? Because of overconsumption.

Overconsumption today is an issue that many of us probably face. When we see something on sale, it seems natural to buy it because of the discount that you’re getting. That’s the point of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Stores get you to come inside to buy new products because of all of the signs that say, “10 – 20% OFF STORE-WIDE!,” or, “SALES TODAY ONLY!” This can lead to lots of items being thrown out, later leading to a massive amount of carbon being emitted into the atmosphere at a rapid pace.

To manufacture these items, factories emit carbon. To transport these items, vehicles emit carbon. For the consumer to buy these items, their vehicles emit carbon to get to a certain store. Then, they must go back to their house, and put everything away. If this goes for every item in every store and for every person that comes to that store, think about the amount of carbon emissions going into our planet’s atmosphere on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. And, if companies have to keep up with the demand, factories are likely producing twice as much as what they normally produce.

Today, if you plan on getting on your computer to shop, try thinking about buying a little less.

What else can you do to limit your carbon footprint during this time? Are you willing to buy less this today?