If you’re interested in sustainability, it can be intimidating figuring out where to start, but know that every action helps make a difference.
There are lots of simple things you can do to make more sustainable choices as you shop with Amazon. With these six tips, we make it easy for you to play your part every day of the year.
1. Recycle your Amazon packaging
Because all the delivery packaging we use at Amazon in the UK is recyclable, an easy way to practice sustainability could be sitting somewhere in your home right now. Simply place your paper bags, cardboard envelopes, or cardboard boxes from Amazon in your household recycling. Visit amazon.co.uk/amazonsecondchance to learn more.
You may also have noticed that in the UK, Amazon is shipping fewer deliveries in cardboard boxes. Instead, we’re sending more than half our customer orders in reduced packaging like paper bags and cardboard envelopes, or no added delivery packaging at all.
In fact, since 2020, we’ve shipped more than six billion eligible products without delivery packaging, with nothing more than a shipping label added by us. We work with manufacturers to test a product’s original packaging, determining that it can be delivered safely to customers this way.
2. Shop Climate Pledge Friendly products
Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly programme helps customers make more sustainable choices when they shop.
As you shop on Amazon, look for the leaf next to eligible items on the product detail page, along with a link to explore the product’s sustainability features. Every product featured has been certified by one or more of over 50 trusted sustainability certifications. These include Rainforest Alliance, Nordic Swan, and Fairtrade International, to name but a few.
Customers can also visit our Climate Pledge Friendly storefront, which features many of these products in one place. By adding “Sustainability” to Your Interests in your Amazon account, Amazon can also recommend more Climate Pledge Friendly products as you shop. There are now more than 2.2 million Climate Pledge Friendly products to browse.
3. Get your Amazon deliveries on a single day
With Amazon Day Delivery, Prime customers can choose their preferred day of the week to receive eligible items at no additional cost. You can even save your selected day for future orders and make Amazon Day your default delivery option. This is a great way to combine multiple orders into one delivery and reduce packaging waste as we try to combine multiple orders in the same box whenever possible.
In fact, in 2024, customers using Amazon Day deliveries helped reduce our total number of shipped packages in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy by an average of 15%*.
4. Trade in or recycle your old devices
Have old or outdated electronics lying around that you’re no longer using? Or maybe it’s time to upgrade to a newer model but you don’t know how to responsibly recycle the old device? You can send your old devices to the Amazon Trade-in programme and potentially receive payment for them.
The programme accepts many types of small electronics, including devices made by Amazon and brand names found in households everywhere. It offers customers an easy way to exchange their used electronic devices for either payment directly to their bank account or an Amazon gift card, depending on the type of device.
The programme is part of Amazon's commitment to building a more sustainable business for our customers and the planet, while making purchases for new devices more affordable.
Traded-in Amazon devices are restored and re-sold to new owners wherever possible, and any devices that don’t qualify for resale are recycled through an Amazon-approved recycler.
Check which devices are eligible, and find out how to trade in your old devices here.
5. Shop pre-owned and refurbished electronics and home goods
Amazon is home to a wide range of affordable, pre-owned and refurbished products. Buying pre-owned can save you money and help extend the life of a product. These items have been professionally inspected, and can be available for up to 50% off the recommended retail price of the same, brand-new item.
Used purchases from Amazon are Prime-eligible, backed by our 30-day return policy and award-winning customer service, and covered by statutory legal warranty.
Find quality pre-owned, open-box, or refurbished items at Amazon.co.uk/AmazonSecondChance.
6. Shop pre-loved clothing and accessories
At Amazon, we are leveraging our scale and our inventive culture to create a more sustainable future. It’s important for the fashion community, like all communities, to work together to protect the environment. We are committed to and invested in this work because it’s a win for customers and the planet.
In Europe, this includes many ways to shop pre-loved fashion with Amazon Fashion and Luxury Stores—including Hardly Ever Worn It for pre-owned designer items across women’s ready-to-wear, shoes, accessories, jewellery, and watches from coveted luxury brands; and RESPONSIBLE for premium streetwear. With this selection, you can refresh your wardrobe with designer names for less and extend the life of quality clothing and accessories.
Visit Hardly Ever Worn It here and discover RESPONSIBLE here.
* We calculated this by comparing the actual number of packages used to ship Amazon Day deliveries in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy in 2024 against projected package volumes if these orders had been delivered with other ship options available to Prime members [such as standard delivery, Prime delivery, or One-Day delivery]. See additional information on Prime Shipping options here: Amazon Prime Shipping Benefits - Amazon Customer Service.
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