The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has rejected Amazon’s request to exclude a plastic packaging shareholder proposal from its 2025 proxy materials.
The proposal, filed by shareholder representative As You Sow, addresses Amazon’s continued use of unrecyclable, flexible plastic packaging for its products. The report requested in the proposal will help Amazon assess how it can reduce its contribution to global plastic pollution at a time of growing regulatory and consumer scrutiny.
As You Sow notes: “Flexible plastic packaging poses a significant threat to marine life and ecosystems due to its inability to be widely recycled through curbside programs. Amazon does not report on the specific tonnage of flexible plastic packaging it uses, but the company is thought to be one of the largest corporate users of this type of plastic. According to the seminal Breaking the Plastic Wave report, the greatest opportunity to reduce or eliminate plastic lies with flexible plastic packaging.”
“Amazon is one of the world’s largest ecommerce companies and plastic polluters,” said Conrad MacKerron, Senior Vice President of As You Sow. “This decision will give investors the chance to vote on our proposal and demand real accountability and transparency.”
As reported by Packaging Strategies, Amazon announced in June 2024 that it had made its largest reduction in plastic packaging in North America to date. That story can be found here.
The SEC’s decision marks As You Sow’s third circular economy-related proposal to move forward at the SEC in 2025, underscoring the materiality of corporate action to prevent plastic pollution. It is the second proposal on flexible plastic packaging to move forward following a challenge at the SEC this year—with a similar proposal advancing at PepsiCo—and follows a favorable ruling at Goodyear Tire on a proposal addressing microplastic pollution from tire wear.
As You Sow published a 2024 Plastic Promises Scorecard last year, which measures corporate ambition and action across six pillars of plastic packaging pollution prevention. Amazon earned an “F” grade, in part due its lack of a plastic reduction goal and inaction on flexibles.
As You Sow notes: “Amazon shareholders can now vote to express their support for Amazon taking necessary action to address its pervasive and unrecyclable flexible plastic product packaging problem.”
As You Sow is the nation’s leading shareholder representative, with a 30-year track record of promoting environmental and social corporate responsibility. Focus areas include climate change, ocean plastics, toxins in the food system, the Rights of Nature, racial justice, and workplace equity. Visit www.asyousow.org to learn more.
