Amazon announces plastic reductions a year after Green Century° Engagement
Media Contacts:
Douglass Guernsey, Shareholder Advocate, dguernsey@greencentury.com;
Pam Podger, Communications Director, ppodger@greencentury.com
A little more than a year after Green Century Funds co-filed a resolution with As You Sow asking Amazon* to address its plastics use, the company announced it has reduced its single-use plastic in its global operations by 11.6% – or nearly 86,000 metric tons between 2021 and 2022.
Amazon also stated that it was phasing out its blue-and-white mailers, which are difficult to recycle, in the U.S. in favor of recyclable alternatives, as it has previously done in the EU and Australia.
“This is a big win for the planet, for Amazon, and the shareholder advocacy process,” said Douglass Guernsey, shareholder advocate. “We applaud Amazon’s reduction in plastic packaging, and believe that shareholder engagement was key to this action.”
Green Century’s 2022 proposal asked the company to report on its total plastics footprint and describe any reduction strategies to reduce plastic pollution. The resolution was supported by nearly 50% of investor votes.
Plastics pollution is a major environmental crisis with an estimated 10 million metric tons entering the ocean each year, damaging vital ecosystems like coral reefs. Without immediate reductions, by 2050 there could be more plastic in the ocean by weight than fish.
“Amazon still needs to disclose its plastics footprint, and make time bound commitments to reduce plastic in its packaging,” Guernsey said. “The company must also keep its promise on phasing out plastic padded mailers. Green Century will continue to work with Amazon and other investors to achieve these goals.”
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About Green Century Funds
°Green Century Capital Management, Inc. (Green Century) is the investment advisor to the Green Century Funds (The Funds). The Green Century Funds are one of the first families of fossil fuel-free, environmentally responsible mutual funds. Green Century hosts an award-winning and in-house shareholder advocacy program and is the only mutual fund company in the U.S. wholly owned by environmental and public health nonprofit organizations.
*As of March 31, 2023, Amazon.com,, Inc. comprised 0.00%, 0.00%, and 0.00%, of the Green Century Balanced Fund, the Green Century Equity Fund, and the Green Century International Index Fund, respectively. As of the same date, other securities mentioned were not held in the portfolios of any of the Green Century Funds. References to specific securities, which will change due to ongoing management of the Funds, should not be construed as a recommendation by the Funds, their administrator, or their distributor.
The percentage in favor was calculated by (i) dividing the number of votes in support of the proposal by (ii) the sum of the number of votes voted in support of and against the proposal. Abstentions and broker non-votes were not included in the calculation.
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This information has been prepared from sources believed reliable. The views expressed are as the date of this writing and are those of the Advisor to the Funds.
The Green Century Funds are distributed by UMB Distribution Services, LLC. 235 W Galena Street, Milwaukee, WI 53212. 6/23
