Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days 2024 (October 8th-9th) kicks off, with millions of shoppers taking advantage of deep discounts. However, behind the excitement lies a significant environmental cost—one that both businesses and consumers must consider.
The Climate Cost
Prime Big Deal Days fuel increased emissions, packaging waste, and resource usage:
- Emissions: The surge in logistics operations, from transportation to warehousing, generates millions of metric tons of CO2. In 2022 alone, Amazon emitted 71.54 million metric tons of CO2, a figure that likely spikes during high-sales events like today.
- Packaging waste: With expedited shipping and individual orders, the amount of single-use packaging skyrockets, contributing to pollution.
- Returns: The ease of returning items after impulse buying adds to this environmental burden, as many returned goods are discarded or shipped back, adding further emissions.
What Businesses Can Do
Prime Big Deal Days present a unique opportunity for companies to prioritize carbon accountability. At NetNada, we help businesses:
- Reduce emissions at the source: Rather than relying on offsets, companies should focus on reducing their operational emissions through energy efficiency, renewable energy adoption, and improving logistics.
- Invest in sustainable infrastructure: Companies can opt for greener transportation options, like electric delivery vehicles, and commit to energy-efficient warehousing.
- Minimize packaging waste: By designing products and delivery systems with sustainability in mind, companies can reduce excess packaging that clogs landfills.
- Improve product lifecycle management: Prioritize durability, recyclability, and reuse, and implement clear guidelines to help customers reduce returns.
Transparency and sustainability initiatives are becoming crucial for maintaining trust. With more consumers demanding eco-conscious practices, brands that show leadership in reducing their environmental footprint stand to gain a significant advantage in today’s climate-aware world.
What Consumers Can Do
Consumers have the power to reduce their individual impact by:
- Consolidating orders: Reducing the number of packages being shipped can help cut down on emissions and waste.
- Choosing slower delivery options: These options are often more sustainable and minimize the need for expedited logistics.
- Supporting eco-conscious brands: By opting for brands with clear sustainability initiatives, consumers can align their purchases with their values.
- Limiting impulse buying: Buying only what is truly needed reduces waste and unnecessary returns.
The Path Forward
Prime Big Deal Days highlight both the potential and challenges of convenience-driven consumption. At NetNada, we’re dedicated to helping businesses reduce their environmental impact throughout the year, not just during high-sales events. By measuring and cutting emissions at the source, and promoting climate-friendly logistics and packaging solutions, we aim to turn events like these into opportunities for positive climate awareness, advocacy, and action.
How Companies Can Take Action:
- Book a quick demo of the NetNada platform.
- Download our free Business Sustainability Info Pack
- Attend one of our upcoming webinars:
- 10/16 | Specialty Webinar | Australian Mandatory Climate Reporting: Lochie Burke and Afonso Firmo will break down What to do if your business doesn't make $500M in annual revenue. Register Here.
- 10/30 | Better Business Partnership x NetNada Webinar | Measuring Your Company's Carbon Footprint: Our partnership with our clients extends to their clients as well. We are having a joint webinar presenting to Better Business Partnership's companies how NetNada extends its service in measuring their carbon footprint Register Here
