Amazon recently announced that they would be offering "same-day" shipping on many of their products! How great, now you can get your items all at once, almost like going to the store. Plus, it has to be environmentally friendly since it stops you and many others from constantly having to drive out yourselves. American’s love it so much that stores such as Walmart and Target have also implemented 1-day shipping.
Others are trying to up their fast shipping game. Fact is, Amazon customers in thousands of cities across 44 major metropolitan areas already have access to millions of items with free SAME DAY delivery. Customers are smart – they know the difference. pic.twitter.com/K89kUJ8Xnn
— Amazon News (@amazonnews) May 14, 2019
Time for a quick break down. Shipping was indeed initially considered “greener” as it prevented people from having to drive themselves and was efficient, using less miles comparatively. It even reduces carbon emissions, what a win!
Well, the introduction of one-day shipping has ruined this “greener’ system. The main reason why delivery works so well is because packages are lumped together and delivered along an efficient predetermined route. In order to deliver things in “one-day”, some packages may no longer by able to sit along during the long route. Instead, they are delivered directly. Essentially, you’re just paying someone else to drive the item to you. Not only that, but it’s likely that you’ll still go out with your car anyways so in the end, there are just more cars on the road which means more emissions.
What is Amazon doing to help lessen their environmental impact? Amazon says that they have positioned delivery stations at strategic points in order to minimize overall distance and driving time. In addition, they have also started a form of delivery called "Amazon Day" where packages are all gathered and delivered on one specific day of the week. Last but not least, they also offer “no-rush shipping” meaning it’ll take about 6 days for your package to reach you. By reducing your desire to have your package instantly, you can help reduce the carbon footprint.
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments.