A look at Amazon’s sustainability efforts this Earth Month

Every day at Amazon, teams are working hard inventing, creating and collaborating across businesses and with partners to become more-sustainable. This Earth Month we’re highlighting the progress we’ve made as we continue to look ahead – it’s just the beginning.

Amazon and now more than 300 companies are committed to reaching net-zero carbon by 2040. Since 2019, The Climate Pledge – which was co-founded by Amazon and Global Optimism – has grown to include hundreds of companies like Unilever, Nespresso and Telefónica all with a joint commitment to work together and take bold steps to decarbonize and fight climate change. Learn more here.

In 2020, Amazon launched The Climate Pledge Fund with an initial $2 billion in funding to help support visionary companies whose products and services will help businesses reach net-zero carbon to fight against climate change. So far, Amazon has invested in 13 innovative companies, including Italy- based CMC Machinery, which designs technology that makes custom-sized boxes that eliminate the need for single-use plastic packaging, and ZeroAvia, the British-American start-up leader in zero-emission aviation that focuses on hydrogen-electric solutions. Learn more here.

Amazon is committed to electrifying its delivery fleet. In 2021, we delivered more than 100 million packages across Europe using zero emission vehicles, such as electric vans, cargo bikes, and walkers. Amazon ordered 100,000 custom electric delivery vehicles from Rivian – the largest order ever of electric delivery vehicles – with all 100,000 planned to be on the road by 2030. Plus, Amazon has put over 15 different electric vehicle models, whether custom delivery vehicles, e-cargo bikes or e-rickshaws, on the road to test and learn across the US, EU and India. Learn more here.

Amazon is on a path to powering its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025, five years ahead of the initial 2030 target. Amazon is the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy in Europe, with solar or wind projects in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and other countries across the region. We are making investments in additional wind and solar farm capacity that, by 2025, will produce the clean energy equivalent to the use of all Echo, Fire TV, and Ring devices worldwide.

Amazon uses machine learning algorithms to arrive at the best possible packaging choices for deliveries. That means identifying which products don’t need additional packaging, and which smaller products are suitable for flexible packaging, such as envelopes and bags, which are up to 75% lighter than similar-sized boxes. As a result, since 2015 Amazon has reduced the weight of outbound packaging per shipment by 36% and eliminated over one million tonnes of packaging material. Learn more here.

Amazon has stopped packing products in single-use plastic delivery bags and envelopes in its distribution network in multiple countries across Europe. This includes items sold by Amazon and third-party selling partners that use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). Customers are now receiving packages in flexible paper bags and cardboard envelopes instead, which are more easily recyclable in household recycling across Europe, are made with more recycled content, and reduce volume compared to deliveries in corrugated cardboard boxes. Learn more here.

Amazon also wants to make it easier for customers to make more-sustainable choices. Below are ways customers can do so:

In 2020, Amazon launched Climate Pledge Friendly (CPF) to help customers discover and shop for more-sustainable products on Amazon, with every product having one or more of 39 certifications that help protect the natural world. Over 100,000 products are now available in Europe through Climate Pledge Friendly across beauty, wellness, apparel, electronics, household and grocery.

This year Amazon launched its first private brand with products all having third-party certifications featured in the Climate Pledge Friendly program. The Amazon Aware line features thoughtfully designed, affordable, everyday essentials across apparel, home, beauty and other categories, all made from materials such as recycled polyester, organic cotton and bio-based ingredients with certifications specific to product type.

Amazon Launchpad provides expertise and support for new brands, entrepreneurs and startups to help them overcome many of the challenges associated with launching new products. Amazon and EIT Climate-KIC, Europe’s leading climate innovation hub, created the Amazon Launchpad Sustainability Accelerator, to find and support innovative, early-stage start-ups who are building more sustainable products and want to scale fast. In celebration of Earth Day, Amazon Launchpad is sharing the unique stories behind small businesses with more-sustainable products.

Refurbished products on Amazon Renewed have been inspected and tested by qualified suppliers to work and look like new, plus they are backed by our 90-day Amazon Renewed Guarantee. Customers can find great prices on pre-owned smartphones, laptops, tablets, desktops and cameras, across top brands, including, Apple, Samsung, Canon, Beats and more.

When shopping on Amazon, customers can find pre-owned products through Amazon Warehouse, all with great deals. This includes millions of quality pre-owned, used and open-box items that have all passed a 20-point quality inspection and are backed by a 30-day return policy.

AmazonSmile is a simple way to support a charity or organization with your everyday purchases, at no additional cost to you. When you shop with smile.amazon.co.uk or smile.amazon.co.de, you’ll find the same products, same low prices and same convenient shopping experience– with the added benefit that AmazonSmile will donate a portion of your eligible purchases to the charity of your choice. There are more than one million charitable organizations to choose from globally, and in the UK and Germany, AmazonSmile has donated more than €38 million to AmazonSmile charities.

Customers can trade in a well-loved Amazon device—as well as devices from brands like Apple, Microsoft and Samsung, and cell phones and video games—for an Amazon gift card. With Amazon’s Trade-In program, the devices are either restored and re-sold, or recycled through an Amazon-certified recycler, ensuring a more sustainable way to dispose of devices.

Through Amazon Second Chance, customers can learn how to recycle all types of Amazon packaging in their local communities. Additionally, when a customer’s order arrives, they are provided with specific details of how to recycle and dispose of packaging by clicking on the “Returns & Orders” section of their account. The website also has information on how to trade in and recycle products, and how to find open-box and refurbished devices.

Learn more about Earth Month at Amazon.