Earlier this year, the French journalists from the TV channel M6 has conducted an investigation regarding Amazon in France and found that the world’s largest retailer annually destroys millions of brand-new goods, including televisions, books and diapers, which could not sell.
In January, the French TV channel released a documentary film, which the reporters called shocking figures: for 2018 at all distribution centres for Amazon in France was destroyed about 3 million unsold goods. In a short video made by a hidden camera on a small Amazon distribution center near Orleans, you can see how many goods in the package without discharged into waste containers for disposal.
Journalists flew a drone with a camera and sent him behind the trucks loaded with expensive consumer goods, and thus traced their way from the warehouse to the city dump – the place of burial is not sold new products.
Their report caused great repercussions in the country. The Secretary of state, Department of environment Bruno Pearson called the practice «irresponsible from an environmental point of view and shocking». The French Parliament will shortly vote for a law which will put an end to such practices.
The French investigation has shown the policy of Amazon in France, but it turned out that this practice applies in the UK. So, reporter, Mail on Sunday, found a job at the Amazon warehouse in Midland, asked one of the workers about the fate of unsold goods. The Manager informed him that «some goods are returned to [seller], and some may be destroyed.»
When the newspaper asked the company a number of questions about the job, including whether she destroys unsold goods in the UK, it has not received a clear answer. Instead, a spokesperson for Amazon said: «On unsold products, we collaborate with a number of charitable organizations, including In Kind Direct, which distributes goods for charities across the UK».
The sellers working with Amazon, told reporters, as the retail giant will charge them a fee for storing their products in the amount of 22 pounds per square meter, but the price soars to 430 pounds for the same place after 6 months and up to 860 pounds a year.
One businessman reported that Amazon was taking 17 pounds in storage, and for the destruction of its production – a total of 13 pence. Providers say that when their goods sold, they have no other choice but to pay Amazon price for disposal, so as to return the product and/or continue to keep in stock is too expensive.
The Minister of labour and pension guy Opperman said: «Amazon should be ashamed for their actions. This is a wrong business practice, and I would advise them to reconsider the trade agreements that they conclude with their suppliers».
British MP and Chairman of the Committee on environmental auditing Mary Craig added: «It is shocking and heartbreaking. At a time when millions of people are struggling to make ends meet and afford basic necessities, scandalously, that unused products are simply destroyed when they can be transferred to needy people. In addition, this policy has disastrous consequences for the environment. In a recent request of the audit Committee Amazon was one of the most successful retailers and are shocked by the fact that these destructive policies now prevalent in the company.»
