036: Top Tip Thursday, Black Friday with Mariska Nell
11/21/18 • 7 min
In this episode, I will be sharing with you what exactly is Black Friday and how it has turned into the biggest shopping day of the year. We also look at some companies like Patagonia that is sending the message that you should not purchase anything unless you need it. Even if the items in on sale. I will take a little recap to Bea Johnson’s 5 R’s and how they can help you avoid purchasing items you might regret afterwards.
Episode Highlights
[01:01] Black Friday 2018 is expected to be bigger than ever. More than 70% of Americans are planning to open their wallets and to make purchases on Black Friday. The average spending of an adult in the US is expected to be $483.18. This will add up to $90.14 billion for the US, Up a whopping $30.57 billion from 2017’s projected spend of $59.57 billion.
[02:30] The average man’s spend is estimated to be around $626.44 and the average woman estimated would be around $342.50.
[03:28] It is estimated that 52% of people purchases made on the black Friday sale was regretted shortly after.
[04:07] One of those companies is Patagonia. They have run a number of successful campaigns where they encourage people not to purchase things that they do not need. One of the campaigns I would like to mention was a full page add in the New York Times. The add had large text on the page “Don’t buy this jacket” with an image of one of their jackets.
[04:55] Not only have Patagonia made people aware not to purchase items that they do not need, but they have also committed from 2016 to donate 100% of the sales made on Black Friday to grassroots organizations, working to create positive change for the planet in their own backyards.
[05:29] Can you still remember the 5R’s that we have talked about previously? REFUSE, REUSE, REDUCE, RECYCLE and ROT.
Key Take Away
“Don’t buy this jacket”
This advertisement from Patagonia really inspired me as it is great to see that there are companies out there that is not just in it for the money but to do good as well. It is very easy to go to the different stores and to purchase all of the items that we see on sale but when we take a moment to think whether we really needed the items we are often filled with regret of purchasing it. Therefore even during a hectic sale season like black Friday, practice your 5 R’s and refuse all the items that you do not need.
In this episode, I will be sharing with you what exactly is Black Friday and how it has turned into the biggest shopping day of the year. We also look at some companies like Patagonia that is sending the message that you should not purchase anything unless you need it. Even if the items in on sale. I will take a little recap to Bea Johnson’s 5 R’s and how they can help you avoid purchasing items you might regret afterwards.
Episode Highlights
[01:01] Black Friday 2018 is expected to be bigger than ever. More than 70% of Americans are planning to open their wallets and to make purchases on Black Friday. The average spending of an adult in the US is expected to be $483.18. This will add up to $90.14 billion for the US, Up a whopping $30.57 billion from 2017’s projected spend of $59.57 billion.
[02:30] The average man’s spend is estimated to be around $626.44 and the average woman estimated would be around $342.50.
[03:28] It is estimated that 52% of people purchases made on the black Friday sale was regretted shortly after.
[04:07] One of those companies is Patagonia. They have run a number of successful campaigns where they encourage people not to purchase things that they do not need. One of the campaigns I would like to mention was a full page add in the New York Times. The add had large text on the page “Don’t buy this jacket” with an image of one of their jackets.
[04:55] Not only have Patagonia made people aware not to purchase items that they do not need, but they have also committed from 2016 to donate 100% of the sales made on Black Friday to grassroots organizations, working to create positive change for the planet in their own backyards.
[05:29] Can you still remember the 5R’s that we have talked about previously? REFUSE, REUSE, REDUCE, RECYCLE and ROT.
Key Take Away
“Don’t buy this jacket”
This advertisement from Patagonia really inspired me as it is great to see that there are companies out there that is not just in it for the money but to do good as well. It is very easy to go to the different stores and to purchase all of the items that we see on sale but when we take a moment to think whether we really needed the items we are often filled with regret of purchasing it. Therefore even during a hectic sale season like black Friday, practice your 5 R’s and refuse all the items that you do not need.
Previous Episode
035: How we can turn our waste into treasures with Tiffany Threadgould
In this episode, we talk to Tiffany Threadgould. She is an eco-lifestyle expert who spreads do-it-yourself recycling goodness with simple solutions. She also has a published book, ReMake It and she is currently the Chief Design Junkie at TerraCycle, a mega recycling company.
During this episode, we take a look at how TerraCycle recycle hard to recycle items. What it takes to be a Chief Design Junkie, some of their upcycled art pieces that have created. Tiffany also gives us some tips on how we can upcycle at home.
Episode Highlights
[01:23] How did your sustainable journey start?
[02:41] I really do feel that everything can be given another life, it just is the lens that you are looking through it.
[03:02] What is TerraCycle?
[03:05] We are a recycling company but we focus on hard to recycle materials.
[04:08] We have a team of both designers an scientists on staff to figure out solutions for all of these weird materials that come our way.
[06:00] Packaging is really the number one thing recycled through TerraCycle and within packaging you have different categories. So flexible film packaging is one thing. Your lightweight chip bags and snacks packages and you also have the more durable pouches. Like your pouched food like baby food, some drinks come in pouches, like apple sauces, things of that nature and toothpaste would fall in that category too.
[06:35] Cigarette butts are one of the number one litter problems that are out there.
[08:12] Some of our major markets are the United States, England and Australia, but there are a number of other countries that participate. We are active in Japan, Mexico and a number of European countries and Canada.
[11:03] We are launching the first dirty diaper program in Amsterdam.
[16:40] More about Tiffany’s book, titled ReMake.
[18:06] Wat has been one of your most important decisions that you have made around mama earth?
[18:13] I don’t just work at a recycling company, it is part of everything that I do.
Final Five
1. What is one social media platform that you follow?
2. What is your hope for mama earth going forward?
I hope that more people are cognizant of what they are consuming and what they are disposing of and quite honestly I would love to get to a point where TerraCycle does not exist anymore because single-use plastic and garbage does not exist.
3. What advise can you give our crazy birds this week to help out mama earth?
Rethink things before you throw them away.
4. What is one sustainability fact that you like to use in a room with people not yet on a sustainability journey?
Over 40% of landfill waste is packaging materials. So that is materials that are only in your hand for a minute if that and then it goes into the garbage.
5. Where can people find you?
Key Take Away
“Rethink things before you throw them away.“
This is something that I could not have said better. Rethinking not only what you throw away but also what you bring into your environment all plays a big role. When we look at the term “away” what does that mean? Is there a place called away where all our waste magically go to and disappear, or is away just another word for a landfill? So when we do throw something “away” do we think on where it will be going next? It is therefore important to look at items before purchaisng them or brinign them into our lives to make sure that we really need the item and when it comes time to discard the item that we can be sure the items can be recycled, composted or even upcycled to give the item a second life.
Next Episode
037: How a company is raising awareness for endangered species with Luke Morris
In this episode, we talk to Luke Morris. He is an entrepreneur and the creator of Wild Body Active and Wild Wood.
During this episode, we take a look at some of the endangered species their Wild Wood products are named after. We also look at how switching to a bamboo toothbrush can help the environment.
Episode Highlights
[01:10] How did your sustainable journey start?
[02:10] When you travel around Asia and there is kids kicking water bottles, plastic bottle on the beach as suppose to footballs, then it kind of stays in your mind.
[03:56] What inspired the start of your company Wild Wood?
[06:07] I wanted it to be all eco-friendly and sustainable, made from reclaimed wood.
[07:02] I also wanted to bring in endangered species into play and give our sunglasses a bit of character as well.
[08:30] They are made from recycled bamboo. The bristles are bio-degradable polymer mixed with charcoal so it gives it a natural kind of ingredient but it also is good for removing plaque and for making your teeth white and natural.
[10:44] People love the fact that they are named after endangered species and the watches are actually named after rainforests and jungles so that is a different dynamic.
[11:34] So for every pair of sunnies or watch that is purchased we plant one tree through the nature conservancy.
[14:08]: You can purchase our products at Surfhouse or from the stock list of retailers or distributors.
[14:38] What has been one of your most important decisions that you have made around mama earth?
Final Five
1. What is one social media platform that you follow?
2.What is your hope for mama earth going forward?
That we get more people to care more about it and that means taking more action and it doesn’t need to be a big step. It can be a little step.
3.What advise can you give our crazy birds this week to help out mama earth?
To do little things.
4.What is one sustainability fact that you like to use in a room with people not yet on a sustainability journey?
I talk about my brand quite a lot, so it is more about endangered species, so, for instance, the Vaquita, there is less than 40 Vaquita left in the world.
5.Where can people find you?
Key Take Away
“To do little things. “
When on a sustainable journey you do not have to feel you are moving a mountain every single day. Focus on the things that you can do and start with the little things in your life that you can change and feel good about them.
If you like this episode you’ll love
Episode Comments
Generate a badge
Get a badge for your website that links back to this episode
<a href="https://goodpods.com/podcasts/mama-earth-talk-208504/036-top-tip-thursday-black-friday-with-mariska-nell-21834283"> <img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/badges/generic-badge-1.svg" alt="listen to 036: top tip thursday, black friday with mariska nell on goodpods" style="width: 225px" /> </a>
Copy