It’s hard to scroll through November without seeing the Black Friday hype everywhere. Huge deals, “limited stock,” and countdown timers make it feel like the whole world is buying right now. But beyond the excitement, what does all this shopping actually cost you and the planet?

While mass sales events encourage more purchases than most of us really need, choosing to shop ethically and supporting sustainable brands gives you the chance to make intentional choices that genuinely benefit people and the environment.

Why Conscious Brands Deserve Your Support (Especially in Sale Season)

Here’s something we don’t talk about enough: running a conscious brand is harder… and that’s exactly why your support matters.

Sustainable brands don’t cut corners. They don’t bulk-buy cheap plastic packaging, use synthetic fillers, or outsource to the cheapest manufacturers. They choose safer ingredients, small-batch production, ethical suppliers, and home-compostable or (truly) recyclable packaging. All of this costs more in time, money, and care.

And here’s the other truth most shoppers don’t see: many conscious brands are small, family-run businesses with big hearts and even bigger dreams. They don’t have the margins to slash their prices by 40% or 50%. And honestly, if a brand can discount by that much, you have to wonder… were you overpaying every other day of the year?

Conscious brands price fairly all year round because they genuinely want you to try their products. So when you support them, especially during high-pressure shopping events, you’re backing brands that choose quality, safety, and sustainability over shortcuts.

Why We Join "Black Friday" (And How We Do It Differently)

Yes, we choose to show up for Black Friday, but for a completely different reason.

November is the moment people are actively buying gifts, looking for new products, and trying something different. By participating, we get to shine a spotlight on small, honest, sustainable Aussie and NZ-founded brands that deserve to be seen.

Our Green Friday offers aren’t about encouraging impulse buys. It's about giving you a chance to swap an everyday essential for a toxin-free, low-waste alternative, without compromising on quality, ethics, or your budget.

And if you choose to gift these products, you might just inspire someone else to make their first mindful swap that could spark so much change in the years to come!

How Fast Sales Encourage Overconsumption

Huge sales events create urgency, pushing shoppers to buy quickly and in volume. Many purchases are impulse buys, which often sit unused at home or eventually get returned.

The average return rate for some retailers can range up to 30% (that’s a lot!), and this number spikes even more during the holiday season. Even when items are kept, overconsumption drives unnecessary production and transport, amplifying the impact of fast sales on the environment.

The Environmental Impact of High-Volume Shopping

Every product has a footprint, from production and packaging to transport and disposal. During major sales events, overproduction and shipping surges significantly increase carbon emissions and waste.

Mass sales also amplify the problem of synthetic materials. Packaging, plastics, and polyester products that are overproduced often end up in landfills or contribute to microplastic pollution, highlighting the hidden environmental cost of fast sales.

Green Friday at Go For Zero: Thoughtful Swaps Only, Never Impulse Buys

Ethical shopping is about more than avoiding harm. Sustainable brands focus on intentional production, durable and safe materials, and thoughtful design, giving you the chance to choose items that genuinely reduce your environmental impact.

When you support conscious brands during sales, you’re not buying for the sake of buying; you’re using the moment to make mindful, planet-friendly swaps that put quality over quantity and turn shopping into something purposeful that benefits people, communities, and the planet.

That’s exactly what our "20% off GFZ Sale & Double Donations" at Go For Zero is all about. Instead of encouraging impulse buys, our offers are designed to help you upgrade everyday (plastic) essentials with toxin-free, low-waste alternatives from sustainable Aussie and NZ-owned brands. One thoughtful swap can replace multiple disposable items, cut down on household waste, and give you something that lasts.

Turning Big Sales Into Positive Choices

This Black Friday, pause before adding items to your cart. Focus on products that genuinely add value to your life. By prioritising ethical shopping and supporting sustainable brands, you turn high-volume sales culture into an opportunity for meaningful impact. Every conscious choice counts.

Thank you so much for your support. It means the world!

Ellie x

Founder & Sustainability Researcher

FAQ's

1. What is the real cost of Black Friday and big sales events?

Black Friday creates urgency that leads to overconsumption, high return rates, and excess waste. Overproduction and fast shipping surges increase carbon emissions, plastic pollution, and landfill waste. The excitement often hides the environmental impact behind high-volume shopping.

2. Why do fast sales encourage unnecessary buying?

Huge discounts and countdown timers trigger impulse purchases. Many items are bought quickly, unused later, or returned, with return rates reaching up to 30% during holiday sales. These patterns drive unnecessary production, packaging, and transport emissions.

3. Why can’t conscious, sustainable brands offer 40% to 50% off discounts?

Conscious brands do not use cheap plastic, synthetic fillers, or bulk manufacturing. They invest in ethical suppliers, safer ingredients, and home-compostable or truly recyclable packaging. Because their margins are fair year-round, deep discounts would undermine their sustainability values.

4. Are you overpaying if a brand can offer 50% off?

Often yes. If a brand can regularly reduce prices by 40 to 50 per cent, it usually means prices were inflated to begin with. Conscious brands price fairly all year because they do not build in excessive margins to fund big sales.

5. Why do conscious brands deserve your support during sales season?

Most sustainable brands are small, family-run businesses creating safe, ethical, low-impact products. They prioritise quality over shortcuts and are intentional about every ingredient and material. Supporting them helps keep honest, planet-friendly alternatives available.

6. Why does Go For Zero participate in Black Friday?

We join Black Friday to spotlight small Aussie and NZ-founded brands during a time when people are already buying gifts. Our offers exist to help you swap everyday essentials for toxin-free, low-waste alternatives, rather than push unnecessary purchases.

7. What is Green Friday at Go For Zero?

Green Friday is our conscious alternative to traditional sales. We focus on thoughtful swaps rather than impulse buys, offering genuinely useful, safe, planet-friendly products that replace disposable or plastic-based items.

8. How does gifting sustainable products create impact?

Gifting sustainable essentials can inspire someone to make their first mindful swap. This can create long-term behaviour change that reduces waste, lowers toxin exposure, and supports ethical makers.

9. What environmental issues are linked to fast sales events?

Fast sales drive overproduction, carbon-intensive shipping surges, excess packaging waste, landfill growth, and microplastic pollution from cheap synthetic products. This combination makes the sale season one of the most waste-intensive periods of the year.

10. How can shoppers make positive choices during Black Friday?

Choose items you will use, products that replace disposables, and brands that prioritise quality, ethics, and sustainability. Being intentional shifts Black Friday from high-volume consumption to meaningful, planet-friendly impact.

11. How do swaps make a difference?

A single swap, such as replacing plastic cleaning bottles, disposable wipes, or single-use plastics, can reduce household waste significantly. Long-lasting, toxin-free alternatives support both your health and the planet.

12. How does ethical shopping support communities?

Ethical purchases directly support local makers, small businesses, fair wages, and sustainable production systems. Your conscious choices help keep community-driven brands alive in a market dominated by mass production.

13. Why do intentional purchases matter more than volume?

Intentional purchases reduce waste, support ethical production, and keep your home free from clutter. A considered choice has a greater impact than filling your cart with discounted items you do not truly need.

14. What does Go For Zero stand for during sale season?

We stand for purposeful purchasing, safe ingredients, low waste, ethical sourcing, and transparent values. Our Green Friday invites shoppers to choose better rather than choose more.