Green Friday: An Eco-Friendly Alternative to Black Friday

Gabrielle Clawson | November 17, 2022 | 4 min read

Black Friday's Eco-Friendly Alternative

We’ve eaten the turkey (or tofurkey) and stuffing, and we’ve even taken a go at the dessert table. Now, for some people, this would be the perfect time to settle in and catch up with family and friends after a great meal. For others, this is the time to grab a coat and hit those Black Friday deals!

We have all heard of this infamous retail holiday, and it comes earlier and earlier each year. But here’s something most of you probably didn’t know. Black Friday has a more sustainable friend that we rarely talk about: Green Friday!

While Black Friday is certainly great for finding amazing deals, this retail holiday isn’t so good for the environment. Many of the stores that promote Black Friday sales are major retailers that have a large carbon footprint. Black Friday also tends to promote fast fashion and consumerism, causing an increase in holiday waste.

In response to this, Green Friday was born. When you join the Green Friday Movement, you can still do your holiday shopping on a budget while also promoting environmentalism and supporting small businesses. Let’s go over some ways you can help the planet this Green Friday!

local bookstore

Shop at local bookstores

 Let’s face it: everyone loves to curl up with a good book — especially as we begin to enter the colder months. Local bookstores are a great place to find meaningful gifts for loved ones while also being green and eco-friendly. Plus, supporting small businesses makes holiday gift shopping a much more meaningful experience. If you're looking for ideas, check out our list of the best books about climate change or best books about nature and trees.

shop on etsy

Shop on Etsy

Over the years, Black Friday has morphed into a week-long event. While that typically means that online stores have tons of sales, the increased shipping rate that follows is bad news for the planet and carbon footprint. Fortunately for us, Etsy has thought of that! Etsy houses an array of small businesses with an emphasis on handcrafted and customizable gifts. Etsy also offsets 100% of their carbon emissions from packaging and shipping, so you can shop all of the deals with a green conscience!

sustainable business

Shop at sustainable businesses

Sometimes, the hardest part of shopping sustainably is finding businesses that have the same eco-friendly beliefs. Luckily, we’ve already thought of that! This holiday season, we have put together the ultimate Eco-Friendly Gift Guide to help you find the best sustainable brands and gifts for everyone on your gift. Take it a step further by shopping at local sustainable businesses near you!

art classes

Gift an experience

Instead of giving someone you love something material, gift them with memories that will last a lifetime! There are so many different experiences to choose from, including a massage, an annual pass to their favorite museum, local art or cooking classes, a planned camping trip, or even a membership to a local national park or botanical garden!

kids playing in woods

Plant a Tree!

Give the gift of trees this holiday season with our one tree planted One Tree Planted Merch! We want to give you a way to shop green this holiday season, and let’s face it: there isn’t anything greener or more eco-friendly than planting trees! Every merch item sold plants a tree!


Green Friday is a great way to shop holiday deals while still being environmentally friendly. Make it the best holiday season yet by giving your loved ones gifts that will make an impact for years to come.

Looking for one last quick item to check-out with? Why not give the gift that keeps giving and gift a tree!

Longleaf Pine Main Image
Longleaf Pine Restoration
Longleaf Pine Tree Planter
Plant Trees Where They're Needed Most
Longleaf Pine Landscape
Longleaf Pine Planting
Longleaf Pine Main Image
Longleaf Pine Restoration
Longleaf Pine Tree Planter
Plant Trees Where They're Needed Most
Longleaf Pine Landscape
Longleaf Pine Planting

Plant Trees Where They're Needed Most

As the need for reforestation is global and ever-changing, we feature where trees are most needed now. This project is currently supporting Longleaf Pine Restoration. Learn more

With your help, we will:

  • Protect wildlife habitat and increase biodiversity
  • Restore essential watersheds for soil stability and erosion control
  • Sequester carbon in the biomass of the forests through climate stability
  • Longleaf pine forests are among the most biodiverse in North America and provide habitat for numerous threatened and endangered species. Longleaf pine forests are well-adapted to a warming climate as longleaf pine is a resilient species that is fire-dependent, drought-tolerant, and long-lived. Reforestation of longleaf pine ecosystems- to increase, maintain, and enhance the species- has been identified as a priority area within America's Longleaf Range Wide Conservation Plan. 🌲
  • Our longleaf pine reforestation project will restore habitats, control soil erosion, and sequester carbon in an effort to stabilize the climate in the area. Not only will wildlife benefit from the clean air and water provided by the planted trees, but the surrounding community will, too. This project will work with a variety of landowners whose responsible forest management and stewardship will only further increase the benefits for species residing on the lands. Some of the most notable species that will benefit from habitat restoration include gopher tortoises, red-cockaded woodpeckers, and eastern indigo snakes
  • A personalized tree certificate (see gallery) to say thanks for your donation. We'll also send you updates about our Longleaf Pine Restoration project, so you can track the impact your trees are having on the ground!
  • We always plant a mix of diverse, native species from local nurseries. This project is working to replenish longleaf forests, so the native species grown in the nurseries will mainly be longleaf pine, but also include shortleaf pine and loblolly pine.
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