Circular Monday: a sustainable alternative to the madness of Black Friday

On Monday, November 25, Circular Monday is celebrated in 40 countries worldwide, including Poland, as a global initiative promoting conscious shopping in response to Black Friday.

Annually observed on the Monday preceding Black Friday, Circular Monday aims to draw attention to the problem of excessive consumption and promote more sustainable purchasing choices. The idea originated in Sweden. The event engages over 1,300 companies, organizations, and ambassadors who collectively strive to promote an alternative to the consumerist lifestyle.

Education and changing consumption attitudes

In contrast to mass consumption, Circular Monday encourages choosing products that are durable, easy to repair, made from recycled materials, and those that support sharing platforms and the secondary market. On this day, educational actions, events, and social media campaigns take place worldwide, aiming to shift consumption attitudes.

The campaign targets various audience groups. We cannot shift the entire responsibility for change onto consumers. It is also the role of companies and their business models, which need to evolve to support more sustainable consumption patterns. That’s why we aim to reach both consumers, promoting more sustainable purchasing attitudes, and businesses, showing that a change in business models and the way of delivering value is necessary,” says Piotr Nejman from the Circular Poland Foundation, representing the initiative in Poland.

With the necessity to reduce resource use and waste generation in mind, Circular Monday is an initiative that practically promotes sustainable solutions.

How to support circular monday?

The website provides a database of companies that support the initiative and promotional materials. The social media campaign revolves around the hashtag #circularmonday and has already garnered over 74 million reactions. Everyone can participate – both by promoting the idea of Circular Monday and by implementing its principles in their lives.

source: press release from the Circular Poland Foundation