Protecting natural resources
We strive to source and use natural resources like water,raw materials, and ingredients in a responsible way across our business andsupply chain. We're also investing in conservation and restoration initiatives to support carbon emissions reductions, while protecting the natural world, wildlife habitats, andbiodiversity.
Progress
$1Bmobilized through the Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest finance (LEAF) Coalition to protect tropical rainforests around the world
7B+liters of water expected to be returned each year to local communities through Amazon’s water replenishment efforts
100%of Amazon private brand paper products in North America and Europe are either recycled or certified to Forest Stewardship Council, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, or Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification standards
Our approach
We invest in land conservation and restoration initiatives to mitigate carbon emissions across our business and supply chain, and also to help preserve the natural world. In our AWS data centers, we are investing in projects to reduce our water footprint, use more sustainable sources such as recycled water and harvested rainwater, and put discharged water back into our communities.
We have a commitment to make AWS water positive by 2030: returning more water to communities and the environment than we use in our data center operations. Guided by our Supply Chain Standards, we are committed to responsibly sourcing raw materials and ingredients used in our Amazon Private Brands products across categories, including apparel, grocery, home, electronics, and more.
Water stewardship

Nature-based solutions

Responsible sourcing
Across our business, we strive to support responsible supply chains and contribute to growingcircular economies.
Protecting forests
To support the elimination of deforestation associated with raw materials and ingredients within our food and consumables Private Brands supply chains, Amazon has made commitments across the use of palm oil, paper and paper packaging, beef, soy, cocoa, coffee, and tea. In addition, learn more about our efforts to protect forests through nature-based solutions and our packaging progress in devices and delivery.

Amazon Private Brands products
For our Amazon Private Brands products, we're working to enhance the certification and traceability of key raw materials and ingredients used. We participate in industry partnerships and working groups that drive greater adoption of sustainable and responsible practices. Amazon Private Brands consist of products across several categories, including apparel, grocery, home, electronics, and more. Explore our Private Brands on Amazon.com and Amazon Fresh.



Materials and agricultural commodities sourcing
Materials and agricultural commodities sourcing
Outlined below are our goals and ambitions to source key commodities more responsibly. To see more details and the latest progress on meeting these goals, please reference our 2023 Sustainability Report. As used here, Whole Foods Market refers to Whole Foods Market in the U.S., except where stated otherwise.
No deforestation commitment
- By 2025, source private brands beef from regions of low deforestation risk or with full supply chain traceability, demonstrating the products did not contribute to deforestation.
- By 2025, source private brands chocolate bars, chocolate chips, and baking chocolate/powder products that are certified by Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade International, Fair Trade USA, or other independently verified third-party certifications, such as Cocoa Horizons.
- By 2025, source private brands packaged bean, ground, instant, and liquid coffee products that are Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade International, or Fair Trade USA certified.
- Amazon uses palm oil certified against sustainability standards in our Private Brands food and nonfood grocery products in North America and Europe. In a small number of cases, palm oil credits may be used to cover small volumes and complex derivatives. We revisit these cases annually with applicable suppliers and agree on plans to transition to physically certified palm oil where possible. All 365 by Whole Foods Market brand products containing palm oil, palm kernel oil, palm fruit oil, and palm shortening areproduced using sustainable oil products.
- Source private brands paper products that are either recycled or certified to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), or Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) standards. This applies to Amazon private brands paper towel, toilet paper, facial tissue, baking paper, coffee filter, paper dishware, and napkin products. We strive to use sustainably sourced fiber in our grocery and consumable private brands paper-based primary packaging.
- Within North America, we determined through a risk assessment review that the majority of the soy in our Private Brands animal protein and meat counter supply chains is domestically sourced, and thus is unlikely to pose a deforestation risk. Within Europe, Amazon’s goal is that the soy in our Grocery and Consumable Private Brands supply chains will be deforestation free by the end of 2025, with a cut-off date of 2020 (meaning that the soy has not been sourced from land that has been subject to deforestation since the end of 2020).
- By 2025, source private brands bagged tea products based on the tea leaf (camellia sinensis) certified by Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade International, or Fair Trade USA.
Animal Welfare
At Amazon we are guided by our principle of customer obsession. We also recognize that with great success and scale comes an even greater responsibility—a responsibility to uphold the highest ethical standards and to be stewards of positive change. As a retailer of animal products, we strive to provide a diverse array of high-quality, reasonably priced protein options while prioritizing animal care. We continue to work to improve farm animal welfare across our supply chains and believe that animals should experience good welfare throughout their lives.
We expect our suppliers to comply with all applicable laws and to take a zero-tolerance approach to animal cruelty, abuse, and neglect. We encourage suppliers to continually improve their animal welfare standards and practices, and to work toward recognized animal welfare certifications or industry guidelines that include welfare provisions.
For information about animal welfare at Amazon Fresh, see ourAnimal Welfare position and sourcing standards.
For information about animal welfare at Whole Foods Market, see our Meat Department Quality Standards.
Sustainable seafood
- Source Amazon private brands seafood products that have a third-party sustainability certification or are actively working toward certification or engaged in a fishery improvement project (FIP). This applies to fresh or frozen single-ingredient products as well as to any product in which seafood makes up more than 5% or is in the top three ingredients. All fresh and frozen seafood in the Whole Foods Market Seafood department must be Responsibly Farmed or sustainable wild-caught (including frozen and breaded options, appetizers, smoked seafood and seafood dips). This applies wherever the seafood is sourced. Canned tuna must be sustainable wild-caught and traceable to the boats.
Sustainable materials
- Source all cotton for Amazon private brands apparel products from more sustainable sources, which we define as being sourced from recycled materials, from farms certified as producing organic cotton, or through the Better Cotton Initiative.
- Source leather apparel and shoe products from more sustainable sources, which we define as being sourced from tanneries that meet theLeather Working Group’s Bronze-level or higher. Amazon did not source any private brands apparel or shoes made from leather in 2023.
- Source manufactured cellulosic fibers used in Amazon private brands apparel products—including rayon, viscose, lyocell, and modal—from more sustainable sources. We use the nonprofit Canopy’s tools and reports to help avoid fibers sourced from endangered forests, endangered species’ habitats, or other controversial sources.
- Increase the use of recycled fabrics in Amazon private brands apparel products, including moving from conventional to recycled polyester and launching products made from innovative recycled fibers.

Chemicals policy
Part of our commitment to quality is avoiding chemicals of concern in our products that can affect human health and/or the environment. We define chemicals of concern as those chemicals that:
- meet the criteria for classification as a carcinogen, mutagen, or reproductive or other systemic toxicant, or
- are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic.
We use leading science and customer feedback to prioritize which chemicals of concern to focus on based on product type, customer concerns, and the availability of safer alternatives.
Restricted substances list
2023
PDF, 525.41 KB
Formulated Products Restricted Substance List
Our Restricted Substance List provides an extensive list of chemicals we seek to avoid in Amazon Private Brands baby, household cleaning, personal care, and beauty products, and applies to all suppliers of these product categories in the U.S. and Europe.PDF, 525.41 KB
2023
PDF, 103.14 KB
Private Brand Food and Beverage Packaging Restricted Substances List
Our Private Brand Food and Beverage Packaging Restricted Substances List outlines the chemicals of concern we seek to avoid in our private brand food and beverage products sold in North America.PDF, 103.14 KB
2023
Apparel, Footwear, and Home Textiles Restricted Substances List
Amazon Private Brands seeks to comply with AFIRM’s Restricted Substances List for apparel, apparel accessory, footwear, and home textiles products in North America, Europe, and Japan.