Nov 28, 2019
Climate activists protest Amazon ahead of Black Friday
An Amazon worker packs items in east England on Nov. 27, 2019. Photo: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP via Getty Images
Dozens of French environmental activists protested at an Amazon warehouse on Thursday, ahead of other "Block Friday" protests planned in France, AP reports.
The big picture: Free and fast shipping — driven by Amazon — pushes e-commerce companies to add more trucks and jets to gain a competitive edge, and delivery boxes are exacerbating the global plastics crisis, Axios' Erica Pandey reports.
The backdrop: Environmental groups like Extinction Rebellion in Canada and Climate Strike Geneva are also planning "Block Friday" events to protest the environmental costs of packing and shipping goods.
- In New York City, Amazon employees are protesting current working conditions ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. They are asking for three 30-minute breaks in 10+ hour shifts instead of two 15 minute breaks and one 30 minute break, Vox reports.
- Amazon workers experienced more weekly injury counts on Cyber Monday and Prime Day in 2018, according to a report released this week form the Center for Investigative Reporting.
Go deeper: Retail's climate cost is going up