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Is Amazon Sustainable?

We rate Amazon as an eco newbie brand. This means that the company has a handful of environmental procedures and sustainable plans for the future set in place, but whether Amazon can be considered sustainable is a matter of debate. Over the years, Amazon has taken steps to improve operations and reduce its CO2 emissions by investing in renewable energy sources or aiming to make 50% of its shipments net-zero carbon by 2030.

However, Amazon's labor practices are far from ideal and there have been several controversies regarding workers' safety and wages. Factory workers have even complained that they were forced to work 60 hour shifts over the festive seasons. At the same time, Amazon claims that it “takes a zero-tolerance approach to animal cruelty, abuse, and neglect”, yet no formal animal welfare policies or certifications can be found online.

Like many other corporations of a similar magnitude, Amazon will need to continue investing in sustainable practices and taking concrete actions to address its environmental impact.

Environmental Footprint of Amazon

Amazon tries to minimize its environmental impact by including more electric vehicles and micro-mobility technologies for deliveries.  In 2019, the company purchased 100,000 custom electric delivery vehicles and expanded its European electric delivery fleet with an order for 1,800 electric vans. Similarly, in India Amazon added 10,000 electric vehicles built by local manufacturers to its existing fleet, while also piloting electric delivery vehicles in Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East.

As for its micro-mobility fleet, Amazon makes use of traditional and electric bikes connected to cargo trailers that can carry up to 45 packages at a time. Over 400 bikes are used to deliver orders from Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh to customers in Manhattan and Brooklyn, New York City.

In 2021, Amazon launched coZEV in partnership with the Aspen Institute. Through this project, Amazon supported the development of zero-emission technologies and fuels. With coZEV, the company revealed its commitment to switching to zero-emission fuel ships for at least 10% of the volume of its internationally shipped goods by 2030 and 100% by 2040.

In terms of packaging, Amazon launched the Frustration-Free Packaging (FFP) program, designed to reinvent the entire packaging experience. Hence, FFP products feature eco-friendlier packaging that is easy to open and recyclable. FFPs can also be shipped without additional packaging protection. In 2021, Amazon started incentivizing vendors that switched to FFP to encourage more retailers to adhere to the standard. According to the website, over 2 million products qualified under Amazon's FFP programs by the end of 2021.

As far as its plans for a more sustainable future are concerned, Amazon aims to power its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025. Similarly, the company wants to reach net-zero carbon emissions throughout its operations by 2040.

Animal welfare at Amazon

As mentioned above, Amazon claims that it operates under a zero-tolerance policy against animal cruelty, abuse, and neglect. However, we could not find any official policies, practices or certifications to back up those claims.

Ethical Working Conditions at Amazon

We noticed that Amazon has several fair working standards and regulations set in place. According to the website, Amazon has a dedicated team across the globe that collaborates directly with suppliers to monitor and report the performance against these standards. While ensuring that workers are paid fairly can be challenging when dealing with global supply chains, Amazon claims that it follows the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights on this issue.

However, we did not find any certifications to prove that Amazon is treating its workers fairly. Over the years, Amazon's working conditions have been criticized and some workers have even raised concerns about low wages, long working hours, and inhumane working conditions.
For this reason, we strongly recommend Amazon improve its supply chain operations and start treating its workers with the respect and dignity they deserve.

Other Eco-Friendly Practices at Amazon

Apart from the aforementioned, Amazon has been involved in other sustainability-driven projects, such as teaming up with Virginia high school students to encourage interest in climate matters. Through the project, Amazon taught students the science behind solar power to fuel more care for the planet.

Similarly, Amazon offered logistical assistance and technical resources when Hurricane Dorian struck the Bahamas in 2019. Back then, Amazon’s first-ever plane full of donated supplies landed in Puerto Rico. Amazon also invested $2 billion to build and maintain affordable housing in Bellevue, Washington and Arlington, Virginia and offered funding to create more than 14,000 affordable homes. Moreover, this company pernered up with different food banks in 35 U.S. cities to provide over 23 million meals to help families in need access healthy food. Amazon also donated 30 million meals in communities across the US.