File this under your "WTF?! Of The Day" category. Amazon.com is trying to patent slower, more expensive, but eco-friendly shipping.
The patent envisions a system that focuses more attention on the environmental impact of the manufacturing, purchase, and disposal of goods and services. Some companies have already responded by optimizing shipping routes.
...of course UPS optimized their routes and fleet eons ago.
Here's the even weirder part of the Amazon patent filing, the consumer pays more for shipping but has "little control" over which eco-friendly shipping method their parcel will benefit from. Amazon's answer is to give the consumer a "range" of environmentally friendly shipping options.
For example, an environmentally friendly option might use a smaller shipping company that takes advantage of hybrid or hydrogen-powered vehicles, or that places items onto vehicles with empty space that are already scheduled for a particular route. Another option might be one that always uses low-emission vehicles, but that may make several stops along the way and thus might take more time. Some companies might only transfer items at night, or avoid routes through major cities, such that traffic would be lighter and the effect on air quality will be lessened.
Buried deep in the patent is the possibility of Amazon selling carbon credits for customers to offset the environmental impact of the shipping of their purchase.
Amazon file the patent in April of 2009 and it was granted on October 20 of this year.
What do you think? Is Amazon greenwashing or truly going greener?
[photo: cogdog/Flickr]
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