Our cities are being buried in Amazon shipping boxes!

We ask that Amazon offer a pilot Pickup & Reuse Program in Marin County, CA, in which delivery trucks pick up Amazon boxes and plastic mailers on subsequent deliveries and return them to Amazon warehouses for reuse.

Amazon boxes account for about thirty percent of all recyclables and twenty-two percent of all refuse in Marin County. An estimated 3.8 million Amazon boxes and 1.2 million plastic mailers will be delivered to Marin businesses and residents this year.*

Residents and businesses in Marin County are currently subsidizing the disposal of Amazon packing materials at a cost of about $6.8 million a year. Amazon packing materials have become an economic and environmental burden on Marin County cities.

Reuse is key to our request. Reuse eliminates the need to remanufacture boxes and plastic mailers. It saves natural resources (water, timber) and creates no pollution. Today we need both efficient reuse systems and efficient recycling systems.

The beauty of this initiative is that Amazon would take responsibility for its packaging materials at no cost to the community and save millions of dollars in virgin packing materials every year. In turn, the reuse of Amazon packing materials would reduce waste, potentially lower refuse collection fees, and help achieve Marin County's Zero Waste goals. It's a genuinely good idea.

*statista.com

Community Environmental Advocate: Carolyn Lund, carolynelund@yahoo.com

This petition is supported by U.S. Congressman, Jared Huffman.

This petition has been endorsed by the Marin County Board of Supervisors. A letter from the president of the BOS has been sent to Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO, asking for a pilot pick up program.

This petition has been endorsed by virtually all Marin cities and towns including Novato, Ross, San Anselmo, Mill Valley, San Rafael, Fairfax, Belvedere, Larkspur, Sausalito, Corte Madera, and Muir Beach District.  Holli Thier, Mayor of Tiburon, also supports the initiative.

Five cities have written letters to Jeff Bezos and the Amazon Board of Directors asking for a pilot pick up program.  All await an answer.

This petition has been endorsed by Marin County's largest employers: College of Marin, Marin Healthcare District (Marin General), Glassdoor,  Community Action Marin, and Township Building Services.

This petition has been endorsed by the refuse hauler for Southern Marin: Mill Valley Refuse.

This petition has been endorsed by Marin County businesses: Hadley Construction, Louis Thomas Fine Men's Apparel, Strawberry Shoe & Watch Repair, Encore Consignment, Cafe Acri, Tony's Shoe & Luggage Repair, Tiburon Mail Service, Servino's Restaurant, Tiburon Thrift Shop, Ruth Livingston Studio, Vogue Cleaners, Hachman Construction, Brooks Tree Care, Mike's Bikes, and Belvedere Land Company.

This petition has been endorsed by Marin County environmental groups: Marin Sierra Club, SF Bay Sierra Club Zero Waste, Redwood High School Environmental Action Club, Seniors for Peace, 350Marin, Resilient Neighborhoods, San Domenico School Green Team, Children For Change, Environmental Action Committee (EAC) of West Marin, and Kim Rago, Executive Director, Environmental Forum of Marin.