Lichfield students explore sustainability at Amazon's fulfilment centre in Sutton Coldfield
Pupils from Saxon Hill Academy in Lichfield were invited to Amazon’s fulfilment centre in Sutton Coldfield for a behind-the-scenes tour and a discussion with the site’s sustainability team.
Saxon Hill Academy supports children and young people with a wide range of medical and physical needs.
During the tour, pupils learned how Amazon reduces its environmental impact through recycling initiatives, energy-efficient technologies, and packaging innovations. They also discovered how customer orders are stored, picked, packed and shipped from the fulfilment centre, and how sustainability is embedded into every part of the process.
Lisa Swan, General Manager at Amazon in Sutton Coldfield, said: “We loved welcoming the pupils from Saxon Hill Academy and sharing the steps we’re taking to operate more sustainably. It’s always inspiring to hear the views of young people, and we hope the visit has helped to spark their interest in sustainability and innovation.”
Wendy, a teacher at Saxon Hill Academy, added: “The older students from the Towards Independence department are taking part in accreditation and have different units throughout this academic year; these include Looking and Acting Part of the Workplace, Recycling and Waste Management. Our visit to Amazon was a great opportunity, where we learnt about the workplace, comparing students’ regular work experience to the work force at Amazon.”
Community donations and employee volunteering are just two of the ways Amazon supports the communities where it operates. Amazon co-founded the Multibank initiative with former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to support families in need. The initiative has donated more than 12 million surplus goods to over 800,000 families across Scotland, Wales, Greater Manchester, London, Tees Valley and Birmingham. This year, the Multibank will send 1 million orders to families across the UK.
Amazon has supported more than one million students across the UK with free STEM education programmes through Amazon Future Engineer and helps community organisations transport meals and other essentials to families in need through its pro bono logistics programme, Amazon Local Good.
Amazon partners with Comic Relief and is the official home of the charity’s iconic Red Nose. Together with its employees, customers, and partners, Amazon has raised over £4.8 million to fund projects that support people across the UK, and around the world.
