Is Amazon’s Elkhart Hub the Future of Green Supply Chains?

Amazon’s newest delivery station in Elkhart, Indiana, keeps packaging moving at full speed, while also acting as an innovation hub.

Built from mass timber and packed with more than 40 distinct sustainability strategies, the site functions as a full-scale testbed to trial, analyse and refine greener ways of running a high-volume delivery network.

The goal is simple: keep packages moving at full speed, while learning how to cut emissions and waste across Amazon’s vast supply chain.

The facility, named DII5, stands out from Amazon’s typical concrete and steel distribution centres. It uses Southern Yellow Pine cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels and glulam beams for its structure - materials known for their low embodied carbon.

That’s the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions linked to building materials, from extraction to construction. Amazon claims this is "the first large-scale owner-occupied mass timber logistics facility in the United States."

Inside and out, the Elkhart site combines design and function. Clerestory windows let in daylight along the delivery floor, a nod to energy-saving and employee wellbeing. The building uses bio-based insulation, salvaged wood desks and air-source heat pumps - an alternative to gas utilities.

These choices all contribute to a reduced operational footprint.

Kara Hurst, Amazon’s Chief Sustainability Officer, says the company is pushing to move quickly: “In climate action, we need to move fast.

"So our teams got creative and asked: ‘What if we created a real-world testing ground for some of the best sustainability initiatives, in one place?’ That’s exactly what we did at DII5, our brand-new mass timber delivery station in Elkhart, Indiana.”

Real-time testing in a live supply chain

Unlike typical pilot projects, this delivery station is live. Every day, more than125 EVs operate from the site, supported by 170 EV charging stations. Packages are still going out on time. That’s part of what makes DII5 different – it allows Amazon to test green strategies without halting operations.

“We're tracking multiple metrics, including total embodied carbon reduction compared to conventional construction, operational energy efficiency, water conservation performance, impacts of biodiversity, etc,” adds Daniel Mallory, Amazon’s Vice President of Global Realty.

“We're also studying how the building performs in various weather conditions and monitoring construction and operational costs to assess the business case for scaling these approaches.”

Water systems offer another angle of experimentation. DII5 features a rainwater recirculation system that captures and reuses water for restrooms, easing pressure on local infrastructure.

Outdoors, the site has a bio-retention pond for stormwater, permeable paving and more than 2,900 newly planted saplings. There are also more than 90 plant species planted specifically to support pollinators, adding a biodiversity component to the industrial landscape.

Daniel sees the facility as a platform for learning: “At the same time, it serves as a 'test and learn' platform for Amazon and the broader industry to explore how buildings can become more adaptive, high-performing and resilient in a changing climate.

"The lessons we learn here will guide the future design, construction and operation of our spaces.”

Scaling the lessons across Amazon’s network

While the Elkhart site is new, its impact is meant to ripple across Amazon’s existing and future facilities.

By tracking performance in real time and under operational pressures, Amazon is building a reference point for retrofits as well as new construction.

The company already uses mass timber in its HQ2 buildings in Arlington, Virginia, but DII5 is designed with a different purpose: finding which strategies work at scale.

Daniel explains the long-term thinking behind it: “While we view DII5 as a strategic investment in designing and implementing sustainability strategies in our future buildings design, it will also give us an opportunity to test which of these initiatives can be scaled across our existing buildings portfolio.”

From EV infrastructure and water systems to lighting and material choices, the site collects data across dozens of touchpoints. That data will help Amazon understand how to reduce the carbon footprint of its entire logistics operation without slowing down fulfilment.

Kara underlines that operations haven’t missed a beat: “These solutions can be changemakers – and the beauty of this approach is, it doesn't impact our operations at all. Packages are being delivered with the same reliability our customers expect and we still get to test our sustainability initiatives.”

At DII5, Amazon is not only keeping its supply chain moving - it’s figuring out how to make every link cleaner.