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- Buy what you need…
- Purchase natural fabrics
- Opt for quality over quality
- Consolidate packaging and deliveries
- Avoid returns, research and ask questions
- Support businesses that prioritise ethical and sustainable practices
Black Friday has a bad reputation for sustainability. It is known to encourage wasteful purchasing, increased emissions from deliveries and returns and in some organisations, exploiting employees to meet inflated demand.
But it isn’t as simple as this. At Silkinc, sustainability is core to how we operate alongside maintaining balanced lifestyles. Being kind to the planet and our people is balanced with creating innovative and sustainable garments that make people’s lives easier and more joyful. This includes being at a price that is affordable, as financial health is part of living a balanced life. We have chosen to offer discounts during Black Friday so that you have the option to purchase luxury products at an even more affordable price.
We have one ask: please continue to be mindful and intentional with your choices. This article offers some hints and tips of how to do this whilst shopping so that you balance your joy with sustainable purchases.
Buy what you need…
…with a pinch of salt. We are all about balance at Silkinc. Sometimes what you ‘need’ includes items that bring you joy and have been on your wishlist for some time. I guess what we are trying to say here is don’t buy something just because it’s on sale. If you believe it has a purpose in your life, has been something you’ve had your eye on for some time or is the perfect gift for someone you love, you should use this time to treat yourself and others. Especially as buying now will be kinder to your wallet.
Purchase natural fabrics
Choosing purely natural fabrics for garments is inherently more sustainable than synthetic materials in most cases. They are biodegradable, meaning they break down naturally over time, do not shed microplastics or harm the ecosystem. They are often sourced from renewable resources such as plants or animals which can be replenished relatively quickly compared to those derived from petrochemicals.
Opt for quality over quality
Some natural fabrics are even better than others depending on what you are looking for. For example, silk is particularly durable. Historians have found silk items from more than 8500 years ago in the early Neolithic Age tombs in Jiahu, China. Don’t worry, we aren’t expecting you to keep it that long, but hopefully this statistic proves our point! By buying silk and looking after your garments, you can keep this for your lifetime, mixing and matching for different occasions and phases of life. Silk is a fabric that can be passed down generations.
High-quality items are not just about your fabric choice but also the quality of cutting, stitching and fastenings. All these coming together, demonstrate a well-thought through garment that will last a lifetime. By starting with high-quality, you can then continue to care for your garment when mishaps happen. This could involve replacing a button, removing a stain or stitching a tear.
Consolidate packaging and deliveries
If you are buying several items from a single business, group your purchases together rather than buying at random points throughout the sale. This means there is one trip and less packaging, reducing emissions associated with transportation and use of resources. If you are want to go one step further, use click and collect options at local, walkable stores as it will reduce emissions.
When receiving your delivery, make sure to track your order so that you know when to expect this. Missing first time deliveries is a significant cause of unnecessary carbon emissions. If you know you will not be able to receive your parcel, try redirecting it to a parcel locker, local post office or friendly neighbor.
Avoid returns, research and ask questions
A typical poor practice during sales season is to buy lots and return what you don’t need. This is lazy to be honest. Businesses take the time to share as much information about their products so that you can make intentional and mindful choices. At Silkinc, please do carefully check our size information, the description and care instructions, they have been tailored for each one of our garments. If you feel like any information you need is missing, please do ask us anything at service@thesilkinc.com, we would be more than happy to help you.
Support businesses that prioritise ethical and sustainable practices
And last by not least, support businesses that genuinely care about sustainability. At Silkinc, even when we offer discounts, we never compromise on the quality of our products, how we look after our people and our environmental processes. This includes less energy intensive garment making, using offcuts of fabric for smaller products and using FSC certified packaging.
Balance is a hard concept to live sometimes. In some periods of life it might mean doing something in excess to make up for other times where you may not have the time or capacity. By continuing to make intentional choices, discounts offer you a way to live your personal values at a more affordable price, taking what you earn that little bit further. We hope this has given you a few ideas of how to make the most of sales season so that you can get maximum value for luxurious and high-quality silk.
