meaning that we are consuming the equivalent of 1.75 planets to meet the humanity’s demand...
Black Friday is dead, long live White Friday
Looking for a good deal, especially in a period of economic recession? Then, Black Friday seems to be the perfect match for you. In reality though, this time of the year is the symbol of the dysfunction of our wasteful society requiring an alternative model that I call White Friday.
WHITE FRIDAY: GIVING NEW LIVES TO UNUSED ITEMS FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH
Since the industrial era, our so-called linear economic model relies on productivism from global supply chains that drive production cost down, positioning any product to the status of commodity. Though, the downside of this extractive and consumption-based system is that households have now cumulated a large amount of unused products with a significant economic and environmental value that remains untapped. We call this phenomenon “urban mines”. That’s why, I propose replacing Black Friday with White Friday, a period dedicated to sort and create value out of unused or little-used items instead of accumulating new ones. Ultimately, it is an opportunity for individuals to do good for our wallet and our planet leveraging the circular economy via resale / second-hand, donation, recycling… And why « white » and not green, blue, …? Because through that concept, my claim is to declare peace regarding the deterioration of the planet (e.g., resource extraction, biodiversity loss, pollution, waste…) through more thoughtful consumption patterns.
WHITE FRIDAY: MORE THAN A SYMBOL, A CIRCULAR VALUE CHAIN CATALYST
Latest studies say that more than half of consumers are unwilling to compromise on convenience as a reason for not taking some actions. That’s why when thinking of White Friday, I look at how this could be applied in practice. Looking at the market in France, some solutions already exist to help consume better or revalorize unused items – such as
Electronics: Underdog, Fnac-Darty, Murfy, Rebuy.fr, BackMarket
Fashion: Vinted, 1robe1soir, Weturn, Circles Sportswear, LinknSport
Furniture: Fab-brick, Leboncoin, Tikamoon, Refair.fr, Emmaus France
Thus, the adoption of models like White Friday depends more on a cultural shift than a technological evolution. This would deliver benefits across the value chain for individuals, organizations, local communities and the wider economy by generating more transactions and uses per single product
Making new revenue streams and cost savings
Giving access to a product that someone needs
Contributing to slowing down the deterioration of the planet
Fostering job creation for after-sales / after-use services (repair, remanufacture, recycle…)
Improving quality of life by making space in the home or reducing stocks
CONCLUSION
Consuming better doesn’t mean less but rather creating more value by asking ourselves the right questions: Have I used all the product I own over the past 12 months? Have I considered all the alternative models like renting or secondhand? According to the philosopher Hartmut Rosa, this means to confront the hyper controllability of the world (we, as humans, own everything) to its actual usability (we, as humans, are part of an ecosystem and respect the planetary boundaries). Therefore, circularity aims for a new society model that aim for more service and accessibility, customized experience and ecosystems instead of product ownership, sense of belongingness, and dependencies. And you, would you be ready to not own by share your electronics (e.g., washing machine) with your neighbourhood?
Happy White Friday everyone!
Liens / Sources:
https://www.oberlo.fr/blog/black-friday-france
https://green-it.developpez.com/actu/337628/Dechets-electroniques-5-milliards-de-telephones-jetes-en-2022-avec-moins-de-20-pourcent-qui-sont-recycles-ils-atteindront-74-millions-de-tonnes-par-an-d-ici-a-2030-selon-les-experts/
https://www.lefigaro.fr/secteur/high-tech/dechets-electroniques-un-tiers-des-telephones-ne-seront-plus-utilises-en-2022-20221017
https://www.europe1.fr/economie/les-chiffres-du-gaspillage-textile-2738608#:~:text=Ce%20que%20confirme%20un%20autre,d’euros%20jet%C3%A9s%20chaque%20ann%C3%A9e.
https://www.eumonitor.eu/9353000/1/j9vvik7m1c3gyxp/vlf0bgvqy6vx?ctx=vjxzjv7ta8z1
https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/people-do-not-wear-at-least-50-percent-of-their-wardrobes-according-to-study/2018081638356
https://labote.com/chiffres-cles-gaspillage/
https://www.horizon-europe.gouv.fr/innovative-circular-solutions-furniture-33568
Ça peut aussi vous intéresser :
Retrouvez mon entretien dans la rubrique Les Echos SPECIAL de ce matin.
My 5 key takeaways regarding the need to position a circular economy at the core of the decarbonation strategy...
