Savings at a Cost: The Environmental Impact of Prime Day
It’s that time of the year again when Amazon’s Prime Day kicks off — but this year it’s not just two days, it’s four. From July 8 to 11, millions of people will fill their carts and snag deals in a 96-hour shopping marathon.¹ But what is the environmental impact of Prime Day and all this fast shopping? Let’s unpack what this surge in overconsumption means for the planet.
Carbon emissions: double the time, double the trouble
Last year’s two-day Prime Day already generated a staggering 1.2 million metric tonnes of CO₂ — roughly equal to what 68,000 Americans emit in a full year.² To put it visually, that's like driving 271,000 gas-powered cars for a year or taking 691,000 round-trip flights from New York to Paris in just two days.³
With this year’s event stretching to 96 hours — double the length of 2024, the emissions footprint is expected to soar.¹ Every order, every return, every rush shipment adds to the invisible carbon cloud.
Plastic and packaging waste: enough to circle the earth 800 times
Prime Day 2021 generated an estimated 709 million pounds of plastic packaging waste — enough to wrap around the Earth 800 times with plastic air pillows.⁴ And with over 375 million items ordered in just two days last year, the waste volume was monumental.⁵
Now imagine what four days of sales might mean this year. That’s potentially double the volume of plastic packaging and waste, much of which is single-use and ends up polluting oceans, rivers, communities, and our bodies.
Overconsumption and returns: a waste crisis in the making
Prime Day fuels a frenzy of impulse purchases — and while it might feel exciting in the moment, many items end up unused, returned, or trashed.
In fact, returns generated 9.5 billion pounds of landfill waste in 2022 alone — that’s like throwing away 1.5 million elephants' worth of products each year.⁶ At a single U.K. Amazon facility, an insider revealed that 130,000 returned or unsold products were destroyed every week.⁷
Every flash deal you don’t really need contributes to this crisis.
How you can shop more sustainably
Fast shopping might be the norm, but it doesn’t have to be your default. Here are a few simple ways to shift your habits toward more sustainable choices:
Pause before you purchase: Ask yourself: Do I really need this? Can I wait? Being mindful about your cart is a small act with big impact.
Choose durable over disposable: When you’re shopping, look to swap out single-use plastics for reusable or refillable options made from glass, aluminum, or ceramics.
Opt for secondhand: Before buying new, check if the item is available pre-loved or refurbished from a local thrift shop or online resale network.
Support companies that prioritize sustainability: Look for businesses that offer plastic-free packaging and carbon-neutral shipping.
Bundle your orders: If you do shop online, try to consolidate items into one shipment to help reduce packaging and emissions.
Every purchase is a chance to support a better way forward. At Grove, we believe progress starts with a single, intentional choice.
How Grove is approaching shopping
We understand shopping is part of life — but how and where we shop can align with our values and help promote more sustainable practices for the planet. Here’s how Grove is rewriting the retail model:
Carbon neutral shipping
Plastic-free packaging
First Plastic Neutral retailer
Intentional, sustainable products curated to reduce waste
Every purchase comes with a price
Prime Day may make it easy to get what we need fast, but that convenience comes at a real cost — to our air, our oceans, and our communities. Luckily, you don’t have to opt in. Every mindful choice you make is a step toward a more sustainable future. And if you ever don’t know where to start, Grove is here to help you choose better, not just shop better, for your home and our planet.
Sources
1 Amazon. (2024). What makes Prime Day 2025 different. Amazon News. https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/retail/what-makes-prime-day-2025-different
2 Fast Company. (2023). Amazon Prime Day is a festival of consumption—and it’s terrible for the environment. https://www.fastcompany.com/91156249/amazon-prime-day-is-a-festival-of-consumption-and-its-terrible-for-the-environment
3 Sustainability News. (2023). Carbon accounting firm shares impact of Amazon Prime Day. https://sustainability-news.net/net-zero/carbon-accounting-firm-shares-impact-of-amazon-prime-day/
4 Environment America. (2021). We’re calling on Amazon to reduce plastic and put wildlife over waste. https://environmentamerica.org/articles/were-calling-on-amazon-to-reduce-plastic-and-put-wildlife-over-waste/
5 World Population Review. (2024). Amazon revenue by country. https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/amazon-revenue-by-country
6 Fast Company. (2023). The hidden cost of retail returns: 9.5 billion pounds of waste a year. https://www.fastcompany.com/91156249/amazon-prime-day-is-a-festival-of-consumption-and-its-terrible-for-the-environment
7 Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). (2023). The dark side of “free” Prime Day returns. https://pirg.org/articles/the-dark-side-of-free-prime-day-returns/
