JD.com is partnering with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) again this year in support of the Earth Hour global environmental movement. Under the partnership, JD has launched a range of sustainability initiatives in recycling and green packaging across its business this week.
Leveraging its nationwide in-house logistics network, the only one that covers 99% of China’s population, JD.com has launched a new round of clothing recycling, where clothing picked up from its customers is sent either to recycling facilities or distributed to the needy. As part of the effort, a dozen universities and companies have set up physical booths where people can donate clothes. A similar drive last year collected more than 200,000 items from 47 cities across China, and a total of more than 1 million items of clothing have been collected so far under JD’s program.
A new addition to the campaign this year is JD’s partnerships with infant formula brands Mead Johnson Nutrition and Wyeth Nutrition to reduce waste by collecting and recycling empty infant formula cans. Some of the cans will be transformed into colorful pencil cases that will be distributed to disadvantaged schoolchildren.
As China’s largest retailer, JD.com is focused on making its supply chain increasingly sustainable. Key to these efforts is the Green Stream Initiative, JD’s largest environmental project, through which the company promotes the use of sustainable packaging materials, reducing the environmental impact of the entire supply chain. As part of its support of Earth Hour 2019, JD is giving its customers in cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou the option to select reusable packaging for an expanded range of products. Customers shopping on the JD.com mobile app can change its interface to display an Earth Hour themed skin, encouraging them to engage in sustainable consumption.
“With its comprehensive in-house logistics network and vast consumer base of more than 300 million customers, JD.com is the priority partner in our efforts to promote sustainability in China,” said Lunyan Lu, Chief Operating Officer of WWF China. “Considering JD’s influence as the industry leader, its commitments and actions help to promote sustainable consumption in China and set a good example for practicing social responsibility in all sectors of society.”
“We are always looking for ways to make our business more responsible and sustainable,” said Christine Wong, head of JD International Affairs. “We have taken this year’s Earth Hour as a call to once more step up our efforts in eco-friendliness and sustainable consumption. We will continue working with partners to create new models for running sustainable, environmentally responsible businesses.”
Earth Hour began in 2007 as a WWF initiative in Australia, with individuals, communities and businesses voluntarily switching off unnecessary lights for one synchronized hour. Since then it has spread across 187 countries and territories to raise awareness of energy consumption and its environmental impact.
JD.com’s contributions to Earth Hour this year are only the latest addition to its impressive track record of corporate social responsibility. The company is converting its entire vehicle fleet to new energy vehicles, among other efforts to reduce emissions, and it is developing biodegradable packaging to further reduce waste in the supply chain. JD’s recently issued corporate social responsibility report highlights its ongoing commitment to global sustainability and dedication to giving back to the community.
