The “Black Friday’’ shopping splurge at the end of November is “black, most likely, for the planet,’’ a French Minister warned as shops around the country promoted their special offers.
Consumers were using 60 per cent more textiles than 15 years ago, but only keeping them for half as long, junior environment Minister Bruno Poirson said.
The minister warned French consumers taking advantage of Black Friday, a U.S. idea that has recently spread to Europe that their new electronic goods or home appliances might give up the ghost within only a few years.
“That is called planned obsolescence,’’ Poirson said in a video posted on Twitter.’’And it’s a double scam: on the planet and on your wallet.’’
The government was working on a tool to inform customers about the lifespan of goods and would propose a law on the issue by 2019, Poirson promised. (dpa/NAN)