A popular trail running apparel and footwear brand is swapping Black Friday for Green Friday again this year.
The UK company inov-8 has announced the campaign, For Peat's Sake, which they report will help us to "get a grip on the climate crisis".
inov-8 will make a donation of 5% to peatland restoration for any purchase made on their website or in store between today and November 29. The initiative is in collaboration with Cumbria Wildlife Trust and their carbon reduction projects.
What is the inov-8 Green Friday campaign?
Peatlands may only cover 3% of the planet, but their soils store twice as much harmful carbon as all the world’s forests. These boggy wetlands are also among the most valuable ecosystems on Earth.
Michelle Waller, senior development officer for Cumbria Wildlife Trust, said: “Protecting and restoring peatlands is one of our best defences against climate change because they lock away harmful CO2, so that it doesn’t leak back into the atmosphere.
“Many people might not know this, but healthy peatlands full of bogs are actually the UK’s largest carbon store – they lock away 28.5 million tonnes of CO2 in the Lake District alone.
“The money received from inov-8’s For Peat’s Sake campaign will help us maintain special peatlands.”
In the past 12 months, inov-8 has donated £12,000 to Cumbria Wildlife Trust, contributing towards the on-going planting of 2,000 trees at Staveley Woodlands, near its head office.
As part of its new campaign inov-8 will also hold a litter pick from its Staveley-based brand store, The Forge, on November 26th, the day known elsewhere as Black Friday.
Several of inov-8’s trail running athletes will join staff in cleaning the local area of rubbish, while others will do likewise in their own villages, towns and cities. Representatives from Cumbria Wildlife Trust will also be there to talk about their critical work protecting Cumbria’s wildlife and wild places.
Climate change pledge from inov-8
Michael Price, inov-8 COO, said: “We need to get a grip on the climate crisis – and do so now, before it’s too late. This is not something any of us can run away from.
“As a brand we’re committed to sustainability and I’m proud of the big steps we’ve taken in making products that last longer and reducing our environmental footprint. We’re not perfect, but we’re improving all the time.
“Focusing our efforts on Cumbria Wildlife Trust and the For Peat’s Sake campaign, rather than the overindulgent madness of Black Friday, may hit us in the pocket but there are bigger stakes at play and I’m proud that we’re taking this stand.”
The trail running shoe brand has also set up a JustGiving page where anyone can make an additional donation to Cumbria Wildlife Trust or do so without making a website purchase.
Learn more about the For Peat’s Sake campaign.
