Twitter Buying Trends: Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Holiday shopping is increasingly being influenced by social media platforms like Twitter, this is particularly true of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. As indicated in a 2013 poll, those who use Twitter spend more and use the portal as a strategy resource that informs their buying decisions.

According to a DB5 survey of 1,000 US adults 7 out of 10 of our users will rely on Twitter to enhance their Black Friday and Cyber Monday experiences. A total of 85 percent of Twitter users shop on Black Friday and 81 percent shop on Cyber Monday. Unsurprisingly, Twitter uses are bigger online shoppers than non-Twitter users. While 54 percent of all adults plan to shop on both Black Friday and Cyber Monday days, that number jumps to 68 percent among Twitter users.

Video - Walmart Fails to Pay a Living Wage

Despite Walmart's efforts to be a sustainability leader they fail to provide provide a living wage to their workers. As illustrated in this video the situation is so bad that employees are being asked to donate food to help feed their colleagues in Ohio, The fact that Walmart does not pay their employees enough for them to sustain themselves means they fail on at least one of the three pillars of sustainability. The situation is so bad that a petition is being circulated calling on Walmart to stop relying on other people's generosity to support its low-road business model.

Event - The 2014 Sustainability in Packaging Conference

The 2014 Sustainability in Packaging conference will take place on March 5-7, 2014 at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld, 6677 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, FL (the Renaissance Orlando is a Green Lodging Palm 1 Certified Hotel). At this event you will hear about the latest successes and challenges that leading brands, converters and packaging innovators have faced as they strive for truly sustainable and profitable packaging.

A Green Christmas and a Sustainable State of Mind

The holiday season is here and many of us are making more responsible choices, however, while personal actions are critical, this time of year is also a wonderful opportunity to green our consciousnesses. While we all must strive to reduce our energy consumption and eliminate the waste we produce, there is a psychological dimension to environmental stewardship that may not be so obvious.

People who are interested in being more environmentally and socially responsible do a host of things at Christmas time and throughout the year. 

Decorations

When it comes to decorations, they use natural materials like organic cotton and sustainable wood. They avoid plastic containing PVC and toxic chemicals like phthalates, as well as decorations that contain lead and mercury.

Video - Unsustainable Christmas Statistics and How to Make Christmas Greener

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Video - How Sustainable is your Christmas?
Electronic Receipts are Convenient and Save Trees

Video - How Sustainable is your Christmas?

Related ArticlesGreen Market Oracle's Gift Guide: A Summary of More Responsible Gifts
A Green Christmas and a Sustainable State of Mind
Black Friday Purchasing Behaviors: Shopping Locally and Learning from the Great Recession of 2008
Infographic - Thanksgiving: Staying Within 100 Miles and Other Tips from Sustainable America
Electronic Receipts are Convenient and Save Trees

Electronic Receipts are Convenient and Save Trees

Instead of printing out a paper receipt, many stores you now give you the option of sending your receipt by email instead. This is both convenient for consumers and it saves a precious resource. Around ten million trees are cut down each year to make receipts in the US. Trees both provide oxygen and sequester CO2. 

In addition to being better for the environment it also is a great way to organize your records. They can be kept in a separate folder for future reference. This is ideal in the event that you need to return an item or for filing tax returns.

Green Market Oracle's Gift Guide: A Summary of More Responsible Gifts

Are you someone with a green conscience looking for a last minute gift idea? Look no further than the Green Market Oracle's summary of green gift ideas that are sure to please everyone on your holiday list. These gifts are not only more environmentally responsible they also communicate something about your own ecological attitudes.

Here is a quick review of 18 gift recommendations as well as a dozen catalogs each full of green gift ideas.

Event - Creating a GMO-Free Holiday

Creating a GMO-Free Holiday will take place on December 19, 2013, from 6:30 pm - 8 pm at Collingswood Library, 771 Haddon Avenue, Collingswood, New Jersey. GMO Free NJ meets to explore ways to avoid the genetically modified organisms that are in our food supply.

From 7-8, they will discuss creating a GMO free holiday, the latest on GMO labeling legislation and other projects.

Event - Halton Halton Environmental Network (HEN) Holiday Social & Enviro Guide Release

Halton Environmental Network (HEN) Holiday Social and 2014 Enviro Guide Release will take place on Thursday December 12, 2013, at Queen Elizabeth Park Community & Cultural Centre in Oakville Ontario. The gathering will start at 5 pm in the multi-purpose room, C-094, near the front entrance. It's also the launch of HEN's 10th anniversary year! They will be sharing some holiday enviro tips and doing a re-gift exchange! Bring a new unwanted gift you've received, leave it on our table, and take one you want. (Participation is optional.) They will donate any leftover gifts to a local charity. If you haven't seen their new office yet, they will be happy to take you on a tour. All are welcome. Light refreshments provided.

Green Tuesday: The Best of Thanksgiving Consumerism Strives to be Both Sustainable and Profitable

In 2011 Green America launched Green Tuesday to promote sustainable products and services during the period of rampant holiday consumerism. Green Tuesday is celebrated on the Tuesday after the Thanksgiving weekend, it is designed to inspire consumers to make "thoughtful, purposeful, eco-minded choices." Green Tuesday has a lot of competition from other sustainability initiatives including those associated with Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. The day is also being claimed by another event called "Giving Tuesday," which encourages Americans to donate to charity.

Video - Small Business Saturday Contributes to Sustainability

Small Business Saturday has been around for three years and in that time people are increasingly seeing the value of shopping at mom and pops instead of the big boxes. As explained in a Treehugger article,

"[T]he best tool for greening our lives is Urbanity- building communities that you can get around in without a car. Where you can get what you need within walking or biking distance. That's where small businesses come in to play. They are local, they support the community, and they make our main streets come alive."

Waste is an Unfortunate Thanksgiving Tradition

The holiday season represents a high point for retailers and a low point for the environment. There are two major things we can do to help minimize our impacts. The first is to be more mindful of purchasing behaviors and second is to do a better job of managing our waste. Waste is one of the biggest problems associated with the holidays. Waste is highly detrimental to the environment and according to the EPA, 32 million tons of plastic waste are generated yearly, 14 million tons of which are used in packaging. During the period from Thanksgiving to the New Year, Americans generate 25 percent more waste than average. This includes

Black Friday Purchasing Behaviors: Shopping Locally and Learning from the Great Recession of 2008

What can the environmentally conscious consumer do to be a more responsible shopper? One obvious thing we can do to help offset environmental impacts is to buy local. We may also benefit from reflecting on the implications of the economic meltdown of 2008. Black Friday is a fascinating conflagration of consumerism kicking off a spending frenzy worth more than $59 billion in 2012, which was up from $52.5 billion in 2011. To capitalize on this orgy of consumerism, retail outlets are opening earlier every year. This year many big box stores opened their doors on the Thursday prior to Black Friday. Just five years after the start of the Great Recession, consumers are battling each other in retail outlets to save a few dollars. This may be a good time of year to remember what happened in 2008 and why.

How to Green Your Black Friday Shopping

Black Friday is a consumer spectacle that is rife with excess and waste. However, there are some easy ways that we can reduce our environmental impacts. Here are five simple tips from FatWallet that can help to make your black Friday more green.  

1. Recycled Products: Try to find products that that are made from recycled or biodegradable materials. For example, several book publishers now only print books made from recycled paper.

2. Energy Efficient Electronics: When buying appliances and electronic devices, check for items that are rechargeable or energy-efficient. Look for the Energy Star logo.

Infographic - Thanksgiving: Staying Within 100 Miles and Other Tips from Sustainable America

H&M's Sustainability Efforts Now Include Recycling

On February 21, 2013, H&M launched an ambitious program designed to reduce the amount of clothing that goes into landfills. The clothing retail giant is now accepting used clothing of any brand in its 48 markets around the world. H&M is working on the 3 R's, (reduce, reuse or recycle), with the ultimate aim of sending no waste to landfills.

H&M has partnered with Global Green USA, the American affiliate of Green Cross International, and I:Collect. Under the partnership, I:Co will repurpose the clothing collected at H&M stores.

Customers who submit clothing under this initiative will be compensated. For each bag of clothing donated, customers will receive a voucher for 15 percent off their next purchased item.

The Northface Launches a Bold Clothing Recycling Initiative

The North Face has launched an industry leading pilot recycling program for clothes. According to EPA estimates, more than 21 billion pounds of clothes linen and other textiles were thrown away in 2010, almost all of which (85 percent) ended up in landfills. According to the UN Americans throw away more than 68 pounds of clothing and textiles per person per year.

The Northface recycling program is called "Clothes the Loop," it provides customers in ten participating North Face stores with bins where they can drop off apparel hats and footwear from any brand.

Items collected are then sent to an I:Collect (I:Co) which either resells them or recycles them. Money generated by the program will be donated to the Conservation Alliance, which funds community-based campaigns to protect outdoor areas.

Customers who donate used apparel earn discounts that can used towards the purchase of The North Face products.

Puma's Cradle to Cradle Sustainability Leadership

Puma is a Sportswear company that has taken sustainability leadership to the next level with the launch of its InCycle, footwear, apparel and accessories. This product line has earned Cradle to Cradle certification.

Cradle to Cradle certification involves the following five sustainability factors:

The Carrotmob Concept from Local Small Business to Global Campaign (Video)