Entering The Holiday Season The Sustainable and Mindful Way

There are more mindful ways to approach the holiday season without hurting the feelings of our beloved and the health of the planet. Gifting is a big phenomena in the weeks to come, but it’s often associated with irresponsible consumption (i.e. overconsumption). The opposite of what hygge is all about, which is a concept that the 1 People team always tries to preach.

Rather than jumping on the shopping trend, 1 People has taken a step back with the Slow November 2021 movement. The team has written an introduction to the movement in a previous journal entry. 

Let’s dive deeper into the matter.

Why 1 People is Against Black Friday

The idea that people have to shop in a limited period to take advantage of exclusive deals, offers, and discounts is a great marketing tactic. But it’s hurting the planet, because it only benefits the first half of the product life cycle. When it comes to post-use, brands that sell these products in the first place turn a blind eye. This is why circular designs matter and where big businesses and brands can contribute to reducing harmful waste for the planet.

Consumers normally seek to purchase electronic devices during Black Friday. And yet, discarded gadgets are even more harmful for the environment due to the potential toxins released that will contaminate our soil and crops. In other words, e-waste is dangerous not just for the planet but for the people, too. Disregarding the contribution that Black Friday sales may play here, we are already expecting 50 million tonnes of e-waste each year. The saddest part is 80% of this e-waste will be burned or dumped in landfills. 

Specifically on the already-excessive textile waste that is taking place on Earth, fast fashion gets amplified during Black Friday and contributes more waste than we can even bear to understand. On average, the US resident would throw away 70 pounds of clothing and other textiles every year. On top of that, the Council for Textile Recycling in the US states that 85% of post-consumer textile waste remains non-recycled in landfills. 

The drawback of shopping online has always been the resulting carbon emissions of shipping and deliveries. Our purchased goods don’t just deliver themselves, unfortunately. In 2020, Black Friday home deliveries in the UK wereT estimated to churn out 429,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, which is the equivalent of 435 return flights from London to New York. As one of Earth’s biggest carbon sinks is dwindling due to deforestation, it’s becoming hard to wrap our heads around the deteriorating effects it will create on the environment.

But all hope is not lost. When given the appropriate options, consumers are willing to pay for a more sustainable and eco-friendly product. 72% of millennials are willing to pay more for sustainable goods. 

That’s why the 1 People team is encouraging Slow November. There are more mindful ways to celebrate the festive holiday season and transition to the new year. Slow November is about slowing down as opposed to getting worked up by all the offers and discounts that temp consumers to indulge in excessive shopping. The movement aims to show kindness for the Earth and reward those who participate in a minimum of one of the three ways. Important to note is that these rewards are linked to the 1 People Loyalty Programme.

The three ways to participate in 1 People’s Slow November 2021 movement:

1. By posting or sharing a zero-waste story. Participants can earn USD $12—or the equivalent in respective currencies—worth of shopping credits so long as the 1 People Instagram account (@1peopletogether) is mentioned and the hashtags #SlowNovember2021 #WeAre1People is used for visibility and re-share opportunities.

2. By posting or sharing a story about a beloved sustainable clothing. Participants can earn USD $8—or the equivalent—worth of shopping credits via the Loyalty Programme. Again, the same conditions apply—tag @1peopletogether on Instagram and use the hashtags #SlowNovember2021 #WeAre1People.

3. By sharing 1 People’s #SlowNovember2021 content as an Instagram Post or Story. Participants can earn USD $5—or the equivalent—worth of shopping credits by following the same conditions above.

These shopping credits will be additional to the USD $20—or the equivalent—that will be received upon registering to 1 People’s Loyalty Programme, which is the preliminary action required. 1 People try to engage with their conscious community with this movement, and also to raise awareness of Black Friday’s effects on overconsumption. Throughout Slow November, 1 People actively shares content around mindful ways to engage in weekly activities. Give the 1 People Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn a follow to engage with some thoughts and inputs.

In line with the theme of Slow November, 1 People encourages you to shop mindfully and consciously if needed. This might mean supporting local brands that are more transparent with their production, or shopping pieces that have been circularly designed to return back to Mother Nature once it's near the end of its life cycle.

In Time For The Holiday Season

As the year is coming to an end, the world starts to countdown the weeks, days and hours, entertaining festivities from Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, up until the New Year finally arrives. For some, it’s the time to express warm feelings to beloved families and friends and indulge in hyggelig moments with each other.

The holiday season is also famously known as the gifting period. Messages around hygge, celebrating togetherness, indulging in comfort are central and retailers definitely know how to market the season. Gift guides and special gift wrappings are offered, so is the motivation to shop more—whether that’s for others or for the self (i.e. self love). It’s a non zero waste occasion, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Cosy In The Cold

1 People offers the option of celebrating the joys of gifting whilst simultaneously staying mindful  of waste. The e-Gift Card is available to purchase for that special someone, which prevents unnecessary buying that will only lead to waste. Simply input the amount you wish to dedicate to the e-Gift Guide, starting from USD $20 to redeem as the sustainable luxury piece(s) of your beloved’s choice. 

Redeem the amount on the e-Gift Card with 1 People’s newest bespoke capsule collection of comfort wear, Cosy In The Cold. Boasting contemporary loungewear and knitwear styles in soothing colours that are elegant to be worn at home or outside. Ever since the pandemic, loungewear has become a staple that will continue to live on even in the post-pandemic era. It offers versatility and comfort that can not only be worn at home, but also outside to cafes or brunch. Couple that with the suitable knitwear to layer over and you’ll have a full-blown cosy look.

The loungewear styles in Cosy In The Cold are 1 People’s first-ever pieces belonging to the category. All made with smart, innovative, naturally-derived fabrics that do more than just provide comfort and breathability but also skin care and health for the wearer. The Ankara Palazzo Jogger is made with PYRATEX® cosmetic IV fabric (66% Tencel; 28% Seacell; 6% ROICA Elastane, which is Cradle to Cradle Certified™), which retains the rich antioxidant properties of seaweed fibre that eliminates free radicals in body cells. Meanwhile, the Dublin Cosy Top is made with PYRATEX® core I fabric (92% GOTS certified organic cotton; 8% ROICA Elastane, which is Cradle to Cradle Certified™) that needs less irrigation, less emission and energy use compared to regular cotton. 

All the loungewear pieces have been consciously designed to care for the people, planet and wearer. What’s more is that they come in foldable boxes, which can be repurposed to store other household items. 1 People’s packaging has been meticulously designed for zero waste to encourage reusing boxes instead of throwing them away.

The staple of the cold season is none other than the knitted sweaters and knitwear in general. The Cosy In The Cold capsule collection introduces three new knitwear styles—from the v neck sweater, high neck sweater, to the cocoon cardigan. All made with 100% RWS-certified responsible wool and GOTS-certified dyed. These are the eco-friendly and timeless knitwear that makes for a conscious gift.

Shop slower as an alternative—treat every purchase as an investment in terms of quality and longevity. The 1 People team encourages mindful buying that will add value to the owner when worn or used. From the main product to its packaging, every component of a product should matter. Slow purchases allow us to open our minds and consider the implications of our purchases not just for ourselves, but also for the environment.

Celebrating festivities would be an even bigger joy if it’s not at the expense of the planet. In the end, wouldn’t it be better to enjoy goods that give us long-term satisfaction rather than brief, surface-level happiness?

Much Love,

1 People