Amazon’s sustainability drive in Yorkshire is making a positive change, says ambassador Reece Sellers
At the heart of this mission is local leadership, like Reece Sellers in Doncaster, whose work as a sustainability ambassador is transforming how the site operates and inspires others to think greener.
From Yorkshire to the world stage, Reece’s story reflects Amazon’s wider journey to net-zero carbon by 2040.
Whether it's donating surplus goods to local schools or tracking carbon metrics on-site, his passion and hands-on action prove that even one fulfilment centre can have a big impact – on colleagues, communities, and the planet.
In 2019, Amazon was driven by the urgency of climate change to co-found The Climate Pledge, which committed the company to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
Amazon has expanded its use of zero-emission transportation including electric delivery vans, cargo e-bikes and on-foot deliveries, and engaged in industry initiatives to remove carbon emissions from larger transportation systems like ocean shipping, aviation and trucking.
At a site level, innovative construction techniques and building materials make Amazon’s buildings more sustainable, and practices are introduced at each site to track sustainability metrics like energy usage.
“We’re just one site in Yorkshire…but what we do matters”
Reece Sellers is from Barnsley and is an interim operations manager at the Amazon fulfilment centre in Doncaster. He’s worked at Amazon for seven years across four sites, three of which are in Yorkshire.
Reece also works as Amazon’s Doncaster sustainability ambassador, a role that see him manage a team of colleagues who track the environmental impact of the building.
Reece completed a Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship through the Amazon Apprenticeship programme 18 months ago, and it was a module on the course that introduced him to sustainability practices at Amazon.
Since then, Reece has continued to develop his interest in sustainability.
“We’re just one site in Yorkshire, and that’s just one region in the UK, but what we do matters,” Reece said. “What we do as a company and as an individual site impacts lots of people, including our team and our community.
“My role involves a lot of metrics tracking and practical tasks like recycling, but it also allows me to interact with people of all levels on site, educating them about best practices and why we do the things we do to operate more sustainably.
“It also gives me the opportunity to speak to people outside of Amazon who are benefiting from our circular economy processes,” Reece continued. “Last year we donated surplus stock from Amazon in Doncaster to charities and schools nearby. Donations included items like paper and pens that were in perfectly good condition, or were returns in good condition that couldn’t be resold.
“Some of the items we donate in this way also come from small businesses that sell on Amazon. Our priority as a company is to minimise returns, but when they happen, as they inevitably do, the processes we have in place to manage lots and lots of stock directly help smaller businesses – some of which are from the local area – incorporate more sustainable practices in their smaller-scale inventory management.”
Goals set by Reece and his team include improving the energy efficiency of Amazon in Doncaster and working with the site’s maintenance and operations teams to implement process changes. The Doncaster fulfilment centre roof has solar panels, which boost the site’s sustainable energy usage.
Packaging innovators
In Europe, Amazon has replaced its single-use plastic delivery bags and air pillows with 100% recyclable paper and cardboard packaging in its fulfilment network.
Automated packaging technology cuts made-to-fit paper packaging for individual items, and this has avoided more than one billion single-use plastic delivery bags being used across Europe since 2019.
In addition to working with vendors to increase the number of products delivered in easy-to-open original packaging made from recyclable cardboard and paper, some products are shipped as they are, with just an address label added.
When packaging is still required, Amazon uses lighter, appropriately sized packaging to reduce waste and carbon, while ensuring products arrive safely.
Climate-friendly leaders
Amazon’s newest fulfilment centre in Yorkshire, at Gateway45 in Leeds, has been designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible.
The building features specialist building management systems, including solar roof panels. These solar panels help reduce carbon emissions, contribute to Amazon's commitment to 100 per cent renewable energy, and provide local communities with clean energy sources.
Amazon is the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy, and in 2023 matched 100 per cent of the power required for its global operations with renewable energy sources – seven years ahead of its original target.
For Reece, his role as sustainability ambassador is about “leaving the site in a better place than I found it, and that whoever takes over from me knows they have the power to make real, effective change.”.
For Amazon, committing to The Climate Pledge pushes the company on to be Earth’s best employer, allowing employees like Reece to succeed in their individual career goals.
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