Have you ever wondered where all your Black Friday and Christmas purchases actually come from? 90% of the goods sold during this time of the year are transported by sea, and are not always made in Europe. Harmful to both the climate and marine ecosystems, shipping constitutes one of the dark sides of Black Friday. Join our latest campaign Green shipping for goods in order to advance together the transition towards a greener maritime sector. How? Call on businesses that use shipping to become more sustainable.
Shipping causes multiple environmental damages
Nowadays, while manufacturers and retailers are paying more and more attention to the ecological footprint of the manufacturing process and packaging of their products, their transport conditions are hardly ever considered. And yet, this remains a big ecological challenge. Apart from contributing to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions, shipping generates many negative impacts on the Ocean, such as the development of aquatic invasive species along the ship’s route, collisions with cetaceans, underwater noise, containers losses, as well as ballast water and chemical discharges.
Get involved with Surfrider Foundation Europe during this Black Friday
Rethinking the way the world’s shipping industry operates is urgent to meet the challenges of the ecological transition. That is why Surfrider Foundation Europe is calling on European citizens to join its latest campaign Green shipping for goods. The main objective? Raising awareness on the environmental consequences of maritime transport among the general public, in order to call on European businesses to better acknowledge this problem. Companies that chose shipping to deliver their products are contributing to its detrimental effects on the Ocean. They have the responsibility to choose sustainable ship-owners.
The shipping issue is particularly relevant during Black Friday, as crowds of people rush to physical or online stores. Consumption culminates during this period: worldwide sales are expected to a total 1,300 billion dollars during the 2021-2022 holiday season (1). Multimedia devices, toys, clothing are among the numerous products that cross the seas to be sold on our store shelves, at a low price for us but at a high price for the Ocean. Participating to Surfrider Foundation Europe’s Green shipping for goods campaign is a way to make the private sector more responsible in its use of shipping. By acting together, citizens, businesses and ship-owners can envision an alternative consumption model and reduce the adverse impact of maritime transport on the marine environment.
Join the Green shipping for goods campaign and challenge your everyday businesses.
Visit our dedicated page to learn more about the impacts of shipping on the Ocean.
