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A Green Black Friday Story

November 27th, 2019

By Leif Einarson, GreenUP Communications and Marketing Specialist

The next Global Climate Strike is this Friday, November 29. That also happens to be Black Friday. The contrast is striking. The annual peak of waste-intensive, linear consumer culture versus the #GlobalClimateStrike and #FridaysForFuture movement.

Here in Peterborough, however, these two things are finding harmony. Local actions are answering the need for global change. To warm your heart, here’s a story about how Black Friday is going green.

Two months ago, on September 27, GreenUP staff joined with students and local community and business members in Millennium Park as part of the #GlobalClimateStrike movement. The global protest urged all levels of government to take urgent action on climate change. Led by youth, most notably 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg, this movement has become the biggest global protest movement in history.

Over the days leading up to that global Climate Strike on September 27, several local Peterborough businesses spontaneously expressed their support for climate action by making donations to GreenUP.

Wild Rock Outfitters was the first local business to announce their intention to donate to GreenUP in recognition of the global Climate Strike.

Following this inspirational example, several other local businesses quickly announced their intention to donate to GreenUP also, including the Silver Bean Café, Night Kitchen Pizza, Watson & Lou, and Ritual Apothecary:

Patagonia then matched Wild Rock Outfitters donation to GreenUP. Patagonia is recognized as a world leader in its corporate support of grassroots initiatives to find solutions to the environmental crisis.

“Seeing our local small businesses rally around climate action is great,” says Stu Harrison, President and CEO of the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce. “We all need to recognize that the benchmarks for profit and loss are intimately connected to how healthy the environment is and how our businesses impact the environment. Any business that defines profit without consideration for environmental impacts is always operating in the red.”

GreenUP dedicated these funds to support our Sustainable Urban Neighbourhoods (SUN) program. The SUN program works with local residents, the City of Peterborough, and other community partners to co-design neighbourhood Action Plans that build local resilience to climate change. SUN also works with residents and partners to complete a wide range of on-the-ground projects that increase biodiversity, improve watershed health, support food security, and expand our urban forest. Through the SUN project, GreenUP is taking action on climate change, and helping neighbourhoods to adapt to future impacts.

“We were touched by these unexpected donations,” says GreenUP Executive Director Brianna Salmon. “The financial support helps GreenUP. But it is really the gesture that feels most significant.”

“As a non-profit charity,” continues Salmon, “ongoing support from donors and grants is critical to our ability to help communities and individuals throughout Peterborough and area lead environmentally healthy and sustainable lives. We all need to do what we can to fight climate change, and local small businesses demonstrating their commitment to supporting local climate action is an exceptional and encouraging step forward.”

This Black Friday, GreenUP encourages everyone to #LoveLocalPTBO and make environmentally sound purchases. Learn about the difference between a linear economy and a circular economy, and check out our tips for green gift wrapping and eco-friendly gift giving. Let’s all make Black Friday green, because we are only in the black if we all reduce our environmental impact and create a healthy and sustainable future.

Posted in GreenUP Store, Waste Free