Black Friday is often (but not always) the busiest shopping day of the year. How do you lessen the environmental impact of your Black Friday?
Best bet: stay home. Don't buy stuff, don't drive long distances to get to the mall, don't burn gas sitting in traffic jams.
Second best: do your best to shop responsibly. In the right-hand column of this blog, there's a list headed "Where to Shop," where I've listed places that sell Fair Trade or otherwise environmentally sustainable goods, including used books and clothing.
Get, or make, gifts that don't include excessive packaging and that you know the recipient will use, rather than stuff that will end up re-gifted, stuck in the back of a closet, or at the dump. Food, a fabulous scarf, a pair of really nice gloves or socks, a magazine subscription.
For Uncle Joe, who has everything? Some nice chocolate or cheese, along with a gift in his name to a charity he'd appreciate.
Mostly, before you shop, think. Don't make impulse purchases. Consider the impact of anything you buy on your budget, your credit rating, and the environment.
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Good list -- I'd add "buy stuff that's made and sold locally."
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