Rethinking Black Friday: sustainable e‑commerce tips.

As a 1% for the Planet member, we're dedicated to driving meaningful change in how we approach e-commerce. The environmental cost of Black Friday is staggering. In the UK alone, 429,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions are generated, according to a report by the Weve Project. To put that into perspective, that’s like the weight of 2,145 blue whales or over 71,500 African elephants. Combine this with the excessive packaging, fast fashion, and rapid shipping demands, and it’s clear the conventional sales model needs a rethink.

Sustainability is more than a trend; it's a movement

According to IBM's recent research, 62% of consumers are willing to change their purchasing behaviour to reduce their environmental footprint, and nearly half are ready to pay a premium for brands prioritising sustainability. With shifting views on sustainability, particularly during high-consumption periods like Black Friday, it's clear that traditional sales models are being reconsidered. As more consumers seek sustainable alternatives, the pressure is on brands to adapt.

Offering sustainable products and packaging, as well as carbon-neutral shipping, builds long-term loyalty and differentiates your brand. By prominently displaying credible sustainability certifications, providing carbon offset options at checkout, and maintaining transparent sustainability claims, you can communicate your environmental efforts effectively, earning trust and making sustainability part of your brand’s identity.

Here’s the deal:

With over a decade of expertise at Significa, we’ve mastered guiding our clients to optimise their e-commerce websites for better performance. We can certainly help you with planning ahead, optimising speed, fine-tuning design for desktop and mobile, securing your checkout process, and maximising personalisation — all crucial elements for any e-commerce strategy during these high-traffic periods.

However, given the environmental impact of the typical sales season, we propose something different. Rather than just focusing on volume and speed, why not take this opportunity to reimagine your approach, placing sustainability at the heart of your strategy? In the following sections, we'll explore how you can align your sales with the values that matter to your customers and our planet.

1. Decarbonise without breaking your business strategy

Fast shipping is often a huge contributor to carbon emissions during the e-commerce holiday season. Some aspects of your business strategy, like sustainability, can feel impossible to tackle without making compromises that seem detrimental to your bottom line. Knowing where to start can be equally overwhelming. That’s where an ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) provider, like Inhabit.eco, comes in. They can help you measure your carbon footprint and work with you to develop a realistic, actionable plan to reduce it—without compromising your business’s growth. Partnering with carbon offset providers is a great way to enable carbon-neutral shipping for online retailers and reduce your footprint.

Pro Tip: Offer customers the option to offset their carbon footprint at checkout by donating to environmental causes.

2. Implement sustainable discounts during sales

Traditional discounting encourages overconsumption and waste. This year, why not focus on quality over quantity? Encourage customers to invest in long-lasting, ethically sourced products. Take inspiration from the Green Friday movement, which promotes reduced consumption and sustainable alternatives to mass-market items.

Pro Tip: Create curated, sustainable product bundles that offer both value and eco-conscious choices. Highlight the environmental benefits of each product to encourage mindful shopping.

3. Make sustainable packaging a selling point

With sustainability at the forefront of consumer values, customers are increasingly prioritising brands that actively work to reduce their environmental footprint. Deloitte’s Sustainable Consumer Report (2023) shows that 39% have opted for brands with sustainable packaging, and 61% have reduced their consumption of single-use plastics. Adopting eco-friendly packaging — whether by using recycled materials, eliminating excess packaging, or offering biodegradable options— can set your brand apart this sales season.

Pro Tip: Make your packaging a selling point. Clearly label it as sustainable, and include messaging about your commitment to reducing waste and using responsible materials. Packaging is not just functional—it’s part of your brand’s story.

4. Circular shopping: a new trend in e-commerce

Circularity is a cornerstone of sustainable retail, with brands like Patagonia leading the way through "buy-back" programs that allow customers to return used items in exchange for store credit. This not only reduces waste but extends the life cycle of products. Patagonia takes this commitment a step further by offering a lifetime guarantee on their items, regardless of whether they were bought new or second-hand. Incorporating circular shopping into your e-commerce strategy can help promote sustainability and deepen customer loyalty by offering durable, long-lasting products.

Pro Tip: Talk to your customers. Assess whether they prefer a "return & reuse" initiative, letting them trade-in used items for future discounts or collect “Green Points” with a “consumption awareness” loyalty program instead.

5. Encourage greener alternatives to flash sales

Consider promoting responsible shopping a week or two before the sales rush. Brands like IKEA have pioneered buy-back programs to reduce waste and extend product lifecycles. Similarly, footwear brand Camper focuses on product longevity through repair services, and Le Creuset offers a lifetime warranty on their cookware. Even if you’re not ready to go that far, you can still align with this trend by spotlighting your most eco-friendly products and encouraging customers to make more sustainable choices.

Pro Tip: Launch a Green Friday prior to Black Friday campaign where a percentage of your sales is donated to environmental charities. Remember to Market(ing) the hell out of it!

6. Educate your audience

Today's customers are savvier than ever about their purchases' ethical and environmental impacts. Use your platform to educate and engage them by sharing content that promotes mindful consumption and sustainability and how these choices can make a real difference.

This is where genuine customer engagement comes in. Building connections with your audience, as discussed in our article on boosting e-commerce sales through user engagement, fosters loyalty and drives long-term success. Commitment to sustainability deepens these relationships, connecting customers to your brand's mission.

Pro Tip: Use your blog, newsletters, and social media to highlight your environmental efforts and sustainable products. Transparency builds trust, and educating your audience on these issues strengthens your brand’s credibility.

Navigating sustainability with action

As the sustainability movement gains traction, more brands are eager to join. However, not all are as committed to it as they seem. This practice of exaggerating environmental benefits, known as greenwashing, involves companies falsely portraying themselves as environmentally responsible without taking real action.

Some brands back their sustainability claims with real, measurable actions. Take Reformation, a well-known brand for its sustainable practices. They go beyond surface-level initiatives by tracking and publicly sharing their environmental impact—whether in water use, carbon emissions, or the materials they choose. In another approach, Caudalie, a B Corp and 1% for the Planet brand, commits to using natural ingredients, sustainable packaging, and supporting reforestation projects. These certifications hold companies accountable, embedding sustainability in their core rather than treating it as a mere marketing tactic.

For instance, joining 1% for the Planet is on the opposite end of greenwashing, as it allows consumers to make a direct impact with each purchase. As a member, companies pledge at least 1% of their annual sales to vetted environmental organisations, meaning every transaction contributes to meaningful causes. This transparent commitment reassures consumers that their purchase supports real environmental action, creating a sense of shared responsibility between the brand and the consumer.

On the other hand, brands like Paynter Jackets engrain sustainability on their modus operandi. By producing limited-edition jackets in small, carefully planned batches, Paynter avoids the overproduction problem that plagues fast fashion. Their made-to-order model and commitment to quality over quantity show a genuine dedication to reducing waste while creating lasting, meaningful products. This kind of transparency and thoughtful approach sets them apart in an increasingly crowded space of "eco-friendly" claims.

Pro Tip: To avoid greenwashing, ensure your marketing team invests in communicating genuine sustainability and better business practices. Highlight verifiable ESG certifications and focus on transparent practices rather than vague claims. Prioritise innovation in your sustainability efforts and make it a core value of your brand, not just a marketing buzzword.

A more conscious sales season

At Significa, we practice what we preach. Sustainability isn't just a guideline for our clients—it's a core value embedded in our operations. Our 'KISS code' (Keep It Simple, Stupid) ensures that we build efficient, long-lasting systems that reduce complexity, minimise environmental impact, and optimise resource use. By adopting a block-based design approach, we enable our clients to streamline content management and product display. In short, our solutions are built to adapt and evolve sustainably into the future.

Transparency is at the heart of our process. You can see this in our Sustainability Handbook, where we outline the steps we’ve already taken to reduce our impact, encourage responsible decisions, and promote long-term thinking. Whether it's cutting energy consumption or partnering with clients who share our values, we’re committed to driving positive change — all while building better, more responsible e-commerce platforms.