The Amazon Devices team says it works hard to make its devices energy efficient and to help customers reduce and understand the energy consumption of devices, focusing on everything from how they build devices to how customers use them.
For example, does 14 years Amazon reinvented reading with the first Kindle, which allows customers to browse and download millions of books in a matter of seconds, and with that only in the last two years, users in the United States have saved an estimated 2.6 million metric tons of CO2 by choosing e-books as an alternative to print.
According to conversions by the US EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency), this is approximately equivalent to greenhouse gas emissions of more than 550.04 passenger cars driven for one year.
“Living in a smart home has many benefits: it is fun, makes daily tasks more efficient and allows you to focus on the most important tasks. But there is another essential advantage to consider: the positive environmental impact it generates”, says Carlos Pérez, General Manager of Alexa en Español.
In its commitment to the net zero carbon emissions, Amazon is working on several initiatives:
Investing in clean and renewable energy
Last year, the technology company introduced low power mode on new devices as well as in the oldest ones that are already in the clients’ homes. This reduces the power consumption of devices throughout their lifespan by using less power during periods of inactivity. This feature is also included in the new Echo Show 000 and Fire TV Stick 4K Max.
According to Amazon, by the end of 2021, more than 50% of Echo and Fire TV devices in customer homes got low power mode. What’s more, over the past year, the company has launched a series of new Fire Tablet, Fire TV, and Amazon Smart Thermostat devices designed for energy efficiency, earning ENERGY STAR certification.
In 2020 , Amazon promised to make the packaging of its devices 100% recyclable for 2023. They are also working so that the 98% of the fiber of wood in its packaging comes from responsibly managed forests or recycled sources.
The company ensures that since September 2020 as of September 2022, has deleted more than 29 millions of packing plastic bags. On new Echo devices, Fire TV, Fire Tablet, Kindle Paperwhite, and other “Smart Home” devices released in 2021, between the 94 and the 98% of packaging is made from fiber-based materials of wood from responsibly managed forests or recycled sources.
More specifically, these products include between a 10 and a 60% post-consumer recycled plastic, between 40 and a 100% post-consumer recycled fabric, between 80 and a 100% recycled aluminum and a 70% recycled magnesium, depending on the product. It also incorporates a 14% post-consumer recycled plastic in some power adapters that ship with your devices.
In addition, Amazon is also working with its suppliers to ensure that sustainability is a priority. In the past year, several of its vendors that handle the final assembly of some of its most popular devices have achieved UL Zero Waste to Landfill Silver or Platinum certification. This means that they manage waste in an environmentally responsible manner, diverting more than 90% of the waste from the landfill of its facilities through methods other than the conversion of waste into energy.
Special certifications
The company also introduced the Climate Pledge Friendly program last year, which makes it easy for customers to discover and purchase the most sustainable products. Devices that have this badge include: Echo, Fire TV, Fire Tablet, Kindle Paperwhite, and smart home devices and accessories.
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In addition, the Amazon Smart Thermostat is the first Amazon device to feature ECOLOGO® Silver certification, a certification that demonstrates that products meet standards that can reduce the environmental impact of one or more stages of the product’s life cycle.