Who would have thought you could patent slower, more expensive shipping? Amazon.com does. The online retail giant was just granted a patent for "Environmentally conscious electronic transactions." The patent envisions a system in which customers are given "a shipping option that might not be as fast, and might be more expensive, but that is more environmentally friendly in at least one way." It also suggests letting people buy carbon credits to offset the emissions generated by the packaging and shipping of their purchases.
The patent notes that "more attention is being focused on the environmental impact of the manufacture, purchase, and disposal of goods and services," and says some companies have responded by optimizing their routes and vehicles and using recyclable materials. But, the patent adds, e-commerce customers have "little control" over which environmentally friendly options they would prefer when ordering something online…
Read more on Tech Flash in Eric Engleman's Amazon Blog on TechFlash.
