Amazon to Launch Program that Donates Unsold Products

After reports revealed that e-commerce giant Amazon was destroying millions of unsold products, the company has decided to launch a new program that would donate them instead.

A French TV documentary estimated that Amazon destroyed over 3 million products in France last year.

According to CNBC, the new program is called Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) Donations and is for third party sellers that store their inventory in Amazon warehouses in the U.S. and U.K.

The program, which begins September 1st, will be a default option for all sellers when they choose to dispose of their unsold or unwanted products stored in Amazon warehouses in the U.S. and U.K. Sellers can opt out of the program, if they want.

In an email statement to CNBC, Amazon’s spokesperson confirmed the launch and said, “At Amazon, the vast majority of returned products are resold to other customers or liquidators, returned to suppliers, or donated to charitable organizations, depending on their condition.”

Amazon also confirmed the news in a blog post on Wednesday. The post read:

Amazon is excited to share that we are launching Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) Donations, a new program where eligible excess and returned products from sellers using FBA will be made available to charitable organizations. Amazon will start donating products from sellers starting this September in the U.S. and UK, providing helpful items to people in need. Amazon works with charity partners and manages logistics to streamline the donation process for independent sellers.

FBA Donations builds on Amazon’s long history of donating millions of Amazon retail products to charities each year. In the U.S., Amazon is working with Good360, a global leader in product philanthropy and purposeful giving. Good360 partners with retailers and consumer goods companies to source highly needed products and distribute them through a network of diverse nonprofits that support people in need. In the UK, Amazon is working with charities including Newlife, Salvation Army, and Barnardo’s.

“We know getting products into the hands of those who need them transforms lives and strengthens local communities,” said Alice Shobe, Director, Amazon in the Community. “We are delighted to extend this program to sellers who use our fulfillment services.”

Disclaimer: We have no position in Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) and have not been compensated for this article.