As convenient and easy it is to shop from Amazon, it is not the most moral thing to do. Amazon is becoming a monopoly and driving out local businesses.  Here are 7 reasons to rethink the Prime shipping, and use your power as a consumer to cut off amazon.

1. Amazon overworks its delivery services and advocates against unions.

As most of us know, shipping Prime is very convenient when you forgot to buy a book for class, or you are buying that last-minute Christmas gift.  Since Amazon offers so much Prime shipping, being a delivery person for the company is one of the highest growing jobs.  Amazon will not let their delivery drivers unionize, thus the drivers are underpaid, overworked, and have next to no benefits.  So next time you are about to hit order on your Hamlet book or the gift for Mom, consider heading to Derby Street, or any shops to purchase without these harmful conditions on drivers.

2. Amazon is largely powered by fossil fuels.

Amazon emits a large number of fossil fuels into the air from their factories and their deliveries. As one of the most bought from businesses in the world, we, as consumers, should demand that Amazon uses clean energy. Amazon will have to listen to its costumers if we stop buying from them until they use clean energy.  As a business, they are always looking to meet the demands of their costumers.

3. Amazon creates excessive packaging waste.

Ever receive a package of something as small as a pair of earrings and have it packaged like it is something as large as a box of shoes?  This is because of amazon’s excessive packaging. Amazon has created massive growth in cardboard waste with the start of Amazon Prime.

4. Hurts small businesses.

Since the beginning of the “Amazon Boom,” small businesses can not keep up with the convenience of Amazon.  This has made them go out of business, and many businesses have begun to fail.

5. It is not regulated as a monopoly.

If Amazon is going to be a monopoly, it should be regulated like other monopolies. Or perhaps more.

6. Facilitates the human rights crisis on the American-Mexican border.

An article in The Guardian showed that Amazon Web Services hosts the Department of Homeland Security’s databases which allows “the department and its agencies to track and apprehend immigrants.”

7. Amazon fights tax laws that would support local economies.

Amazon worked to kill a business tax that would create affordable housing in Seattle, it’s companies headquarters.  Amazon also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to create a faux grassroots campaign called “No Tax on Jobs” in Seattle.

Amazon continues to be the largest growing monopoly in the world, seemingly getting away with these things.  So next time you order Prime, consider your power as the consumer first and demand change from Amazon.