Under this year’s Amazon Sustainability Accelerator, eleven start-ups will test their innovations – including reusable packaging – within Amazon’s operations with a potential investment of up to £2 million (€2,393,090).
The Amazon Sustainability Accelerator launched in 2022. It has since supported more than 40 start-ups across the UK and Europe – claiming to have provided over £1 million (€1,196,560) in grants and credits, increased the business’ on-average increase sales by 700%, and helped them raise over £15 million (€17,948,905) to date.
This year’s start-ups will test their solutions in the UK, Denmark, France, Germany, and Spain. Depending on the challenge being addressed, the pilots are expected to vary in duration and scope.
One of the successful start-ups is Hipli. Throughout September, it plans to fulfil 50,000 orders from Amazon’s Montélimar fulfilment centre in reusable, fibre-based packaging.
Each package can apparently be reused multiple times, which is hoped to lessen Amazon’s reliance on single-use packaging.
Hipli is said to have been chosen for its ‘innovative approach’ and scale, reportedly maintaining a million packages in circulation.
Meanwhile, Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Lauwin-Planque will distribute 45,000 reusable cardboard boxes from Re-Zip across five European countries between September and October. Once used and returned, the packaging will be collected, cleaned, and sent back to Lauwin-Planque for reuse.
This process is expected to test the reusability of the boxes, as well as cross-border collection capabilities with partners in France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Austria.
Collectively, Hipli and Re-Zip are expected to ship nearly 100,000 orders across France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria.
Other projects supported by the Accelerator include Cheesecake Energy. Founded at the University of Nottingham, this start-up captures electricity generated by solar power in the daytime via energy storage systems, then provides additional energy during peak hours or during the night. The use of compressed air and thermal technology is set to unlock safe, reliable energy storage in selected European fulfilment centres and reduce emissions related to energy usage.
“Storing energy for longer periods is vital as we accelerate towards net zero,” said chief commercial officer Michael Simpson. “We are excited to test our innovative technology with Amazon. This will help the company store excess solar energy and use it when needed.
“It’s great that Amazon shares our belief in the potential of the Cheesecake Energy technology, to reduce the cost of energy storage as well as ensuring renewable energy is used efficiently.”
Phaidra’s AI tool will also be applied to the heating and cooling system at one of Amazon’s fulfilment centres in the UK. The software utilizes algorithms in a bid to optimize energy use in real-time, basing its operations on the weather, the number of employees in the building, and other factors.
As a result of this process, carbon emissions are anticipated to decrease by 40%, and energy costs by up to 25%.
“Through our world-leading AI tools, we are committed to reducing carbon emissions and energy use in heating and cooling systems,” said CEO Jim Gao. “Our collaboration with Amazon in this pilot is a significant step towards achieving a more sustainable future in commercial, industrial and data centre facilities.
“We aim to provide a scalable and seamless solution that not only benefits the environment but also offers substantial savings and efficiency improvements.”
BrainBox AI, HT Materials Science, Circu Li-Ion, Pirta, Raicoon, SolCold, and Unbound Potential will also run trials.
Subject matter experts will collaborate with the start-ups throughout their pilot to offer feedback, troubleshoot, and help refine their technologies where necessary. When the trials are complete, Amazon will evaluate their environmental impact, financial viability, and general effectiveness, deciding whether any can be scaled across other sites in a long-term partnership.
“This trailblazing programme is a testament to Amazon’s commitment to supporting innovation and driving positive change”, said Justine Mahler, sustainability director at Amazon. “By providing a real-world testing ground for unique and cutting-edge technologies, we’re not only reducing our environmental impact but also creating a blueprint for more sustainable practices across industry.”
Previously, Hipli and Re-Zip joined RePack, Opopop, and KIUD as five of fifteen successful candidates chosen for mentorship under the Accelerator back in May. For the first time in the programme’s history, the start-ups were given the chance to pitch their solutions for a trial in Amazon’s European operations, with three set to be chosen for a further eight-to-ten-week programme.
This announcement came after Amazon’s work with SMEs Mum & You, The Cheeky Panda, and BUSHBABY to deliver products in their own packaging, rather than applying extra Amazon-branded materials. Research commissioned by Amazon saw 58% of respondents, or six in ten UK adults, approve of arriving at their homes without delivery packaging to lower their environmental impact.
More recently, the e-commerce giant has received permission to test its Prime Air drone delivery service in British and Italian airspace. The trials are set to examine how the drones identify and avoid other aircraft, as well as the signals sent to flag their presence to others in the airspace and air traffic control.
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