Why Are Workers and Consumers Boycotting Amazon?

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A big part of sustainable living is being conscious about who you give your money to.

Financially supporting big corporations that are responsible for numerous human rights violations and the destruction of the environment allows them to keep going.

People are boycotting Amazon because of its extreme tax avoidance, the poor working conditions in factories, slave labour in their supply chain, and its catastrophic environmental impact.

In this post, I am going to take a look at the unethical issues consumers are boycotting the trillion-dollar company and then provide you with a list of places to shop instead.

This post was updated in 2021 to fix broken links and include information about the Uyghur genocide.

Tax avoidance

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is the richest man in the world.

While it is no secret that Amazon avoids paying taxes, it has recently been announced that Amazon has now avoided paying £75 billion (or $100 billion USD) in taxes in the last 10 years.

By keeping all that cash instead of contributing to society’s public services, Amazon has gained a significant advantage over smaller businesses.

While a million people signed on to universal credit during the 2020 pandemic, Bezos's net worth grew by over £56 billion ($75 billion) according to Bloomberg's Billionaire Index.

How messed up is that?

How do companies avoid taxes?

Big companies shift their profits to places where tax rates are much lower. Because this is an (unintentional) loophole in the system, this process is legal.

In 2019, Amazon reported making £13.7 billion in UK sales, but it only filed for £5.5 billion of them.

So where did the other £8.2 billion go?

That would be to Luxembourg - a well-known tax haven. Bezos denies avoiding taxes and claimed the sales were booked by the UK branch of his Luxembourg-registered companies called Amazon EU Sarl.

Amazon EU Sarl had 4302 members that year who recorded annual revenue of €32.2 billion, meaning Amazon reported €7.5 million for each employee - 36x more than in the UK.

Why is tax avoidance unethical?

In the UK, tax avoidance is taking money away from struggling public services, such as the NHS and housing.

The UK has lost £35 billion in tax due to avoidance and fraud.

Instead of trying to tackle this extreme tax avoidance, the Conservatives are increasing the National Insurance tax in 2021.

“Our society cannot sustain itself when so few have so much, while so many have so little” - Sanders.

Oxfam estimates that tax avoidance costs developing countries $100 billion a year. This money could be used to provide healthcare and education to children that live in extreme poverty and die from treatable diseases.

Tax avoidance isn’t just a moral problem, it’s a human rights issue.

[Photo by Maria Oswalt]

A list of recent lawsuits against Amazon

The amount of lawsuits against Amazon is ridiculous, and once you look deeper, you won’t want to financially support them anymore. 

There are plenty more lawsuits, but the following seven show what a wide range of ethical issues are at play:

• 8 women have filed lawsuits against Amazon claiming they were fired and discriminated against for being pregnant [source]

• A man is suing Amazon after being sold products that had been recalled for being dangerous (misaligned razor blades and cream poisonous to children) without being notified it was recalled. An investigation found that 4152 items were listed for sale on Amazon that were banned or declared unsafe [source].

• Amazon got sued for selling foie gras in states where it is illegal. To produce foie gras, caged ducks and geese get a metal pipe shoved down their throats force-feeding them fat and grain. It is cruel, violent and painful and leaves them with breathing and walking difficulties. Amazon still sells foie gras as a company [source].

• Delivery drivers in California sued Amazon for unfair working conditions while trying to keep up with Amazon’s speedy delivery times. Several drivers also reported not being paid overtime despite working over 40 hours a week. [source]

• 3 Muslim women have filed a federal discrimination complaint saying they are afraid to pray due to the hostile working environment [source].

• In Ohio, the emergency services are struggling to keep up with the daily trips to Amazon’s million square foot warehouses where workers need regular medical attention. Amazon has received $17 million in tax incentives and hasn’t paid property tax for 15 years, yet the emergency services don’t receive any extra help - it is left to the taxpayers [source].

• Amazon was sued for falsely labelling plastic products as biodegradable [source].

[Photo by Paddy O Sullivan]

Child labour in Amazon’s supply chain

This summer (2019), leaked documents revealed that factories in China were breaking the law by recruiting teenagers to work nights so they could keep up with the demand for Amazon Echos, Dots and Kindles. 

The Guardian reported how teachers were paid to accompany their students and encourage them to work overtime, which is illegal in China. 

They quoted an interview with a 17-year-old studying computing. She was working 60 hours a week sticking a protective film on 3000 Echos a day. When she said she didn’t want to do overtime because the work didn’t relate to her course, the factory contacted her teacher, who threatened her scholarship and graduation if she refused. 

This is what is known as forced labour, a common form of modern slavery where people are forced to work against their will out of fear they’ll be punished or harmed.

It’s estimated there are 24.9 million people trapped in forced labour around the world.

Amazon tied to genocide

In 2020, a report named 83 companies using Uyghur forced labour, and Amazon was one of them.

There is evidence that close to 3 million Muslims are being held against their will in detention camps, prisons and forced labour factories in Xinjiang, China.

It is the largest imprisonment of a religious group since WW2 and the experiences of people that escaped are incredibly traumatic.

Amazon claimed it was no longer sourcing from the suppliers named in the report.

One of the ways the Chinese government is controlling Uyghurs is by using extreme surveillance measures. They have security cameras everywhere that use artificial intelligence, advanced facial recognition and are even able to detect race so that they know what Uyghurs are doing and saying all of the time.

During the pandemic, as part of a $10 million contract, Amazon bought cameras that detect peoples’ temperature from the company that helps control and detain Muslim minorities.

Although the company is blacklisted in America, Amazon’s actions are legal. While they won’t admit to partnering with a firm fueling genocide, it is troubling to learn how willing they are to turn a blind eye to human rights abuse.

Forced labour throughout supplies chains is not just Amazon’s problem. The tech industry relies heavily on suppliers in China.

With the complex nature of supply chains and the absense of transparency, it’s impossible for consumers to check where materials came from and who manufactured their products.

The safest thing to do to avoid financially supporting slavery is to choose secondhand and refurbished electronics.

You might also like: FAQ about the Uyghur genocide and fashion

Buying used and refurbished Electronics

Tech products have complex supply chains because there are so many parts involved in their creation. From the mining of heavy metals to the people attaching phone screens, tech is one of the worst industries for exploitation and pollution.

Technology is a crucial part of the modern world. Because we have a habit of overconsuming… well, everything, there are more than enough products already in existence.

I’ve been using secondhand phones for years - mainly because I used to drop them a lot. I’ve also bought a used echo dot (which I connect to Spotify), headphones, and speakers. Both my television and laptop are refurbished and work perfectly.

Professional companies that refurbish your electronics should come with a guarantee and many offer the option to extend it further for a fee.

For refurbished computers, you can use my affiliate code SRAW-TMQ46 to get 6% Off at Stone Refurb, the professional computer refurbishment company.

[Photo by Markus Spiske]

Where can I shop sustainably?

There are many smaller companies that care about the planet and the people growing, sewing, creating their products.

Check out my list of places to shop instead.

ethical online alternatives to amazon

A list of online stores to shop sustainably for clothes, food, consumables, gifts, beauty, home and garden

Go To List

Empowering communities

As you can see, there are so many reasons to be angry at Amazon.

The only way we can ensure our economy is growing in a sustainable way that benefits everyone in society (rather than just a few rich people) is by supporting local, independent businesses.

Choose local farms, greengrocers and markets, support your highstreet and small businesses, buy certified Fairtrade products from overseas, and choose second-hand clothing if you can’t afford ethical fashion brands.

If you’re able, make the decision today to give your money to deserving people instead of paying a cheaper price for convenience.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this article in the comments below.

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