Friday 25 November marks the so-called "black Friday", better known as Black Friday, a traditional day of sales that originated in the United States, where it takes place the day after Thanksgiving, and which in recent years has also taken hold in Europe. Black Friday represents the quintessence of consumerism, the secular religion of the twenty-first century, the product of an increasingly homogenised and hedonistic culture. Watching the endless queues, the scenes of hysteria and the encampments outside shops from the night before in order to snap up the most heavily discounted products, one is reminded of the words of Pier Paolo Pasolini, who argued that consumerism "has stripped men of their sense of the sacred and of their feelings, turning them into ugly and stupid automatons who worship fetishes".

Patagonia thinks about the environment

Patagonia, the outdoor clothing company that has made sustainability its defining characteristic, has conceived a different kind of Black Friday, centred on respect for the environment. The company founded by Yvon Chouinard has announced that it will donate the entirety of its Black Friday sales proceeds to environmental non-profit organisations working alongside local communities to protect air, water and soil for the benefit of future generations. The takings — from both physical stores and the website — are estimated to exceed two million dollars and will support small, little-known associations that play a valuable role.

1% for the planet

For more than thirty years, Patagonia has donated 1 per cent of its revenues to environmental organisations, demonstrating that it is possible to combine business with respect for the planet and its natural resources. The Californian company has now reached a total of 74 million dollars in donations.

The threats facing the planet concern everyone

"At this historical moment of discord and division, we believe it is important to engage more deeply with our customers who love, as we do, the wild and unspoilt places still found on Earth," said Rose Marcario, president and chief executive of Patagonia. "If we do not act boldly and courageously with every means at our disposal, climate change, air and water pollution, species extinction and soil erosion will have inevitable and irreversible consequences. The threats facing our planet concern everyone, regardless of political or ethnic affiliation, in every part of the world."

Patagonia's sustainable business

This is not the first time Patagonia has "used" Black Friday to set itself apart from other brands and to redefine consumerism on its own terms. Its Don't buy this jacket campaign is famous: in 2011, the company invited its customers to repair and recycle their clothes rather than buying new ones without any real need, in order to protect the environment.

How much Patagonia earned during Black Friday

The revenue Patagonia generated over Black Friday far exceeded forecasts, coming in at around ten million dollars. The entire sum, as promised, will be distributed among more than eight hundred environmental organisations.