The Amazon online store destroys millions of products in the UK every year. It writes the British trade channel ITV, which has secretly investigated the company’s distribution center in Dunfermline, Scotland.
An anonymous former staff member at the center says that more than 100,000 articles are removed each week. This included items such as televisions, laptops, expensive Dyson headphones and vacuum cleaners, as well as books and face masks that were still in the package.
The former employee said that half of the products are new and unused, and the other half were returned by customers but still in good condition. Lots of produce has been taken to recycling centers, but ITV has also seen trucks headed to landfill.
In addition to employee testimonials, the channel relies on internal Amazon documents. In the April list, 124,000 products were listed under the heading “Destruction.” During the same period, only 28,000 pieces were set aside for donation.
The web giant has 24 distribution centers in the UK – possibly many others.
