Let me preface this by saying that this post isn’t about whether or not I support Jeff Bezos or Amazon. It’s a fact that Amazon has a monopoly on eCommerce. But it appears that Amazon is working to be a competitor in the sustainability realm as well with the launch of their Amazon Aware store. So, let’s talk about it, shall we?
What Is Amazon Aware?
Amazon Aware is Amazon’s response to the need for more producers to be more sustainable. They have everyday essentials that have been created consciously. All of the Amazon Aware products are certified as being conscious carbon neutral as well as featuring certifications that are part of the Climate Pledge Friendly program. This is something that is so big because Amazon is one of the largest retailers in the world.
Amazon Aware has a really big frequently asked questions section on the store homepage which I love because that’s very visible and it makes it really easy to have these answers questioned. Here are some of the frequently asked questions that are on there.
Why did you create Amazon Aware?
Customers wanted to shop more consciously. And they wanted to make that easier. Amazon Aware is a line of everyday essentials across apparel, home, beauty and more all the third-party certifications feature in our Climate Pledge Friendly program.How are Amazon Aware products certified?
Amazon Aware products future certifications that are part of Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly program. Certifications are chosen by product type—for example, our apparel products, we selected certifications such as a global recycled standard.Head on over to their homepage so that you can read the rest of the year or are there frequently asked questions that I really think are very very insightful.
What Is Amazon’s Climate-Friendly Pledge?
I think it’s important that we take a look at what Amazon is saying about being climate-friendly. They have a website that is dedicated to them being two years of climate pledge friendly. Beginning in September 2020 Amazon has been partnering with 20+ thousand brands and has over 300,000 products that are aligned with being climate-friendly. They are looking to explore more sustainable products even more.
This is something that’s really important to me and I think it’s really cool that they’re doing this because it’s more than just greenwashing. Amazon actually has the ability to influence businesses and owners as well as companies that were previously not climate-friendly and make the businesses and products that are climate-friendly more accessible to people. This is something that’s important for us to have a more sustainable and climate-friendly world. According to them, this is just the beginning.
Now let’s take a look at the certifications. The certifications mean something to me because we know that it takes a lot in order for you to actually get certified. This is something that I learned when I was doing my farm tours with Organic Valley as well as working with the Fairtrade Association. So how do the products qualify as being Climate Pledge Friendly?
They are being certified by the following:
Fairtrade International
Global Organic Textile Standard
bluesign
Compact by Design
Cradle to Cradle certified
Green Seal
Responsible Wool Standard
WaterSense
And more
This is really really important because it speaks to how Amazon is taking being climate friendly very seriously and honestly I’m really happy to see it.
Not only do they have this Climate Pledge Friendly movement that they are really working hard to push but they’ve actually made it really easy for people to shop for Climate Pledge Friendly products. You can actually choose the Climate Pledge Friendly category when you’re looking for things on Amazon. This really makes it that much easier for people to find exactly what they need that is climate pledge friendly. So you can find alternatives to your normal things that are actually better for the environment.
The Amazon Aware Store
So what’s inside this Amazon Aware store? And honestly, is it worth supporting? The reason why this is even a question is that we know that in order for climate change to really occur, we need to really be focusing on the reduction of the amount that we’re consuming as opposed to recycling or reusing it. I think we forget that in the recycling triangle it’s reduce then reuse then recycle. Often times we have gotten caught up in the fact that we just recycle and think that’s good enough. It is not. But that’s a conversation for a different day so expect that blog post later. Let’s take a look at what it is that they are actually offering.
The Amazon Aware store is offering women’s clothing, men’s clothing, household essentials, home furniture, and beauty items. This is something that I actually do plan on purchasing from because they have plus sizes included in their women’s sizing. That is super important to me because typically sustainable fashion is either not size-inclusive, ugly, or it’s just not really financially accessible. Meaning they’re really really expensive. Some of the items in this Amazon Aware collection are really cost-efficient. There’s a beautiful dress that’s on here it’s white it’s got the multi-tier and it’s under $50.
Here’s a look at some of the women’s clothing that I would buy for myself:
Here’s a look at some of the items that I would actually buy for my husband to wear:
The men’s clothing honestly is looking pretty good too.
For the home
The clothing is not the only thing that’s really accessible. I checked out some of the home furniture and it looks really good. And it is really affordable. They have some reclaimed wood items that are made into some really beautiful pieces that will look good in everyone’s house for like $50 and $60–I think that that is really affordable. They also have some sheet sets that are made organically and those are pretty affordable as well.
Beauty
Taking a look at their beauty items, it looks really good as well. They are packaging the stainless steel using minimal amounts of plastic. That’s extremely important because these can all be reused as well as recycled in a very quick way. Some of their items are also being made and packaged in glass which is excellent. They’re beauty items are all skincare that has been EWG Verified and I’m here for it. It doesn’t look like they have expanded into makeup just yet but I anticipate them doing that as well.
Final Thoughts
Overall Amazon Aware is something that I can support. I really like the way that they have made size inclusivity part of their movement with sustainability. Many times the plus size women or plus size bodies, in general, get left out of the movements that we’re seeing–especially with sustainability. It’s almost like people think fat people don’t want to be sustainable too but that isn’t true.
Will I be purchasing from this collection? I absolutely will do some purchasing from this collection. I’ll definitely purchase their basics to fill different parts of my wardrobe that I don’t actually feel like making. One of the other things that I really want to call attention to is if they have different collections of materials used. In their collections, you can actually choose from things that are made with organic materials or you can choose from things that have been recycled. Depending upon your values you may align more with recycled materials as opposed to organic materials. I really like how they’re giving the consumer the choice to choose what aligns most with what is important to us.
So tell me: is the Amazon Aware store something that you plan on purchasing from?
