This Hidden Section of Amazon Is Committed to Making Online Shopping More Sustainable
As online shopping has spiked in popularity, so has the concern of waste. More people have become aware that the ease of online shopping translates to overconsumption and harmful packaging. And Amazon has noticed, because they’re taking steps to spread awareness on how to be a better consumer.
Amazon created Second Chance to educate shoppers with an array of related sustainable topics, from how to recycle your packaging to looking for an easy and reliable way to purchase secondhand items. “Pass it on, trade it on, give it a second life” is the tagline, and from the looks of it, they’re practicing what they’re preaching.
First, there’s a forum on how to recycle your packaging. After you click on the category, a drop-down menu of specific materials comes up, grouped into “Amazon.com Packaging” and “Amazon Grocery Delivery Packaging.” Clicking on each photo of a packaging material brings you a brief yet efficient description of how to treat it once it’s arrived. For example, for “bubble-lined plastic bag,” they suggest looking into whether your city offers curbside recycling, and if not to use a designated drop-off location where plastic firm is accepted. Don’t know where that might be? They have a drop-off location finder.
Next, they tackle items that you no longer want. Whether it’s an item you just purchased from Amazon or a video game that you haven’t played for years methods on how to go about recycling items (and getting money in return!) are listed here. If it’s the opposite problem, and you’re looking to buy or rent an item that isn’t necessarily new, Amazon provides you with four places to look that you might not have known existed: Amazon Rentals, Amazon Warehouse, Amazon Renewed, and Certified Refurbished Amazon Devices.
How about when you buy something that doesn’t work like it should? To reduce waste and help get the most out of your products, Amazon suggests heading to Amazon Product Support where they mention they offer “free set-up, troubleshooting, and replacement part services.”
If you’re a frequent Amazon shopping with a sustainable mind, some of this might not necessarily be news to you. But you have to admit, with so many different resources listed, it’s nice to have all the eco-friendly points live in one hub.