Hey there! Today I want to share with you a nice initiative that I’ve found in the catalan newspaper ARA (https://www.ara.cat). This article talks about the mass consumerism on the last Friday of November, commonly known as Black Friday.

The rise of promotions during the last Friday of November has impacted so hard in Sweden, a developed country that have found a sustainable alternative to this crazy shopping day. Recycling clothes, reaproducing food or renting children’s clothes are some of the actions they’ve taken. Under the name of White Monday, Sweden have invented a campaign to give visibility to companies that contribute to the circular economy. This initiative was born last year, and this second edition has doubled the number of participants, up to sixty.

During the White Monday, consumers can get discounts on the products and services of the companies that participate on it, for example, there’s an application called Karma, through which you can buy leftover food from restaurants or supermarkets that is in good conditions, a good initiative that reduces food waste.

There are also other initiatives, like online stores for second hand items, clothing and furniture companies that are made from recycled materials, and others that offer shared services, such as Hyber, which allows you to rent children’s clothes and return it once the size is already too small.

Discounts can be obtained through the White Monday webpage and, in addition, the participants will promote the action through social networks, sharing some photos tagged with #WhiteMonday to become viral. They want to achieve a kind of Ice Bucket Challenge (the solidarity campaign with the ELA patients that were made Viral in 2014), to promote the circular economy. They want to show the world that there are other alternatives to the consumption of new products.

In the search for roads towards a more sustainable planet, proposals and initiatives that help to take care of the environment are emerging. To conclude, we are facing a difficult situation, in moments that require changes, imagination, initiative, courage and much effort. By carrying out the right actions, like this one, we will achieve a better world for next generations.