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On 14 June 2024, Ethical Consumer searched for information on Amazon.com Inc’s use of palm ingredients, as palm was widely used in food, household cleaning & personal care products. The mass production of palm oil has relied on the destruction of rainforests, which has wide ranging impacts including contributing to climate change, as well as loss of biodiversity and human rights. The company had not filed an RSPO ACOP.

To get a Best rating in this category, a large company (>£100m annual turnover) needs to have all palm oil and derivatives certified, for at least 50% of total ingredients to be from a physically certified supply chain, to publish a list of all its mills (with no problem ones appearing), and to publish an annually updated grievance list. The criteria are simpler for smaller companies.

The company did not meet higher scoring criteria but did have some evidence of more responsible palm sourcing. It stated on its sustainable products webpage: "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". (20 points)

No evidence was found that more than 50% of the palm used by the company was certified as Identity Preserved or Segregated.

The company did not have an annually updated grievance list.

The company had a turnover over £100m but had no list of mills in its palm supply chain.

Final scores are capped at either 0 or 100. Overall, Amazon.com Inc scored 20/100 for Palm Oil.

Reference:

www.amazon.co.uk (3 June 2024)