The Clean Collective launches Green Friday - a Festival for our Future
Announcement posted by The Clean Collective 14 Nov 2018
Australia’s strictest toxin-free, waste-less shop and community, The Clean Collective has launched Australia’s first Green Friday Festival, as part of its 46-day long Conscious Christmas campaign.
The Clean Collective’s Green Friday Festival refreshes and recycles the ‘tradition’ of Black Friday, into a new event that invests in the future of our planet and our health. In doing so, the Aussie startup is calling out the irresponsible product development, mindless consumption and waste created by Black Friday sales, and their impact on global social and environmental wellbeing.
From 12 November to 2 December 2018, The Clean Collective will donate all its profits to Trees for the Future, with the aim of raising enough money to plant 50,000 trees as part of The Forest Garden Program, all while helping Australian consumers make more conscious purchases this festive season.
Charlie Thompson, CEO and Co-Founder, explains why The Clean Collective has decided to give its profits away, at a time of year when most businesses are reaping the rewards of sales and Christmas shopping.
“We founded The Clean Collective to identify solutions that would drive positive social and environmental change in our everyday purchases, habits and traditions. We know Black Friday has become a part of the Christmas shopping process, and while we believe the holiday is about more presence and less presents, gift-giving is a deep-rooted human tradition,” Thompson comments.
“We decided rather than boycott Black Friday, we’re going to work with it, because it’s far more effective to turn the tide by flowing with it, than swimming against it.
“So instead, we’re encouraging a different mindset this festive season. One where every gift purchased drives a positive social and environmental impact, nurtures our bodies and the Earth, lasts - never wasted or discarded, and gives back to a greater cause, for our future, and the future of our planet. ”
When planted in the right areas, over the right timeline, 50,000 trees will:
● Absorb the amount of C02 equal to driving a car 32,500,000 miles - the equivalent of driving from Perth to Sydney and back 664 times![1]
● Release enough oxygen to sustain 100,000 humans.[2]
● Reduce runoff caused by rainfall by up to 50,000,000 gallons.[3]
● Contribute to other environmental impacts, such as promoting insect and plant species biodiversity, composting, organic farming practices; improving climate change resilience; ending soil degradation and farmer-based deforestation; reforesting landscapes; conserving local forests and animal habitats; and recharging groundwater tables. [4]
Shoppers at thecleancollective.com will also benefit from up to 20% off all purchases during The Green Friday Festival, to support their decision to buy products that are kinder to themselves, their families and the environment.
The Green Friday Festival runs before, during and after the Black Friday weekend, maximising access to sale prices over an extended period of time, preventing ‘mindless consumerism’ - unwanted or unnecessary impulse purchases.
“We’ve researched the impact of Black Friday sales, and we don’t like what we’ve found. We believe Black Friday is an event that needs reinventing. The idea and the tradition need rethinking, recycling and reusing to drive greater good and tackle the wrong-doings it’s currently fuelling. That’s why as well as giving back to the planet, we also want to give back to our loyal community, and gift them affordable prices and more time to make conscious decisions about their Christmas purchases,” Thompson comments.
The Clean Collective’s Conscious Christmas campaign runs from 9 November to 26 December 2018, sharing tips, tricks and solutions to help Aussies create a conscious, better-impact Christmas. The Green Friday Festival will offer up to 20% off sitewide from 12 November - 2 December, where all profits will be donated to Trees for the Future, with the aim of funding the planting of 50,000 new trees.
[1] Annually, an acre of trees absorbs the amount of carbon dioxide equal to driving your car 26000 miles. GreenPop. A healthy forest has 40 to 60 trees per acre. (MAST Health Forest Initiative). Driving from Perth to Sydney and back = 7,868km / 4888.95 miles (Google Maps)
[2] Mature trees can absorb roughly 48 pounds of CO2 a year. The tree in turn releases enough oxygen to sustain two human beings - ColoradoTree.org / Clean Air Gardening
[3] Trees reduce urban runoff and erosion by storing water and breaking the force of rain as it falls. The USDA reports that 100 mature trees can reduce runoff caused by rainfall by up to 100,000 gallons! Clean Air Gardening