Amazon has replaced 95% of the plastic air pillows from delivery packaging in North America with paper filler, working toward full removal by the end of the year.
Amazon has taken a significant step in reducing plastic waste by replacing 95% of plastic air pillows with paper filler in North America. This initiative aims to fully eliminate plastic air pillows by the end of the year, marking Amazon’s largest plastic packaging reduction effort in the region to date.
Amazon’s Commitment to Sustainability
“We’re constantly inventing and thinking big to make our packaging small,” Amazon states, emphasizing their dedication to minimizing packaging while ensuring customer satisfaction and prioritizing recyclable materials. This initiative aligns with Amazon’s broader sustainability efforts, which include reforestation projects and revitalizing former coal-mining towns in the U.S.
By replacing plastic air pillows with paper filler, Amazon is set to avoid nearly 15 billion plastic air pillows annually. For Prime Day this year, most customer deliveries will not contain plastic air pillows. This change reflects a multi-year effort to eliminate plastic packaging from North American fulfillment centers.
Pat Lindner, VP of Mechatronics and Sustainable Packaging, praised the cross-Amazon collaboration that made this possible. “We are working towards full removal in North America by end of year and will continue to innovate, test, and scale in order to prioritize curbside recyclable materials,” he said.
Transitioning to Paper Filler
Last October, Amazon launched its first U.S. automated fulfillment center in Ohio to eliminate plastic packaging, transitioning from plastic air pillows to paper filler. This center served as a testing ground, allowing Amazon to transition 95% of its shipments to paper filler in less than a year. Teams worked with suppliers to source paper filler made from 100% recycled content and coordinated the transition across hundreds of fulfillment centers, involving thousands of employees in machinery changes and training.
Testing revealed that paper filler offers equal or better protection for products compared to plastic air pillows. Additionally, the paper filler is curbside recyclable, making it easier for customers to recycle at home.
Fulfillment center employees have also welcomed the change. Christian Garcia, a fulfillment associate in Bakersfield, California, expressed his excitement: “I’m so excited we’re changing over to paper. It’s not only easier to work with, but the machinery gives us more space so it’s easier to pack orders. And I’m proud to be a part of a change that allows customers to recycle at home.”
Broader Sustainability Efforts
Amazon’s investment in reducing packaging and increasing curbside recyclability spans all operations. Programs like the Ships in Product Packaging initiative, which shipped 11% of all packages globally without added delivery packaging in 2022, demonstrate this commitment.
Additionally, Amazon collaborates with the U.S. Department of Energy to develop new materials and recycling programs. They are also piloting AI-powered robots from Glacier, a San Francisco-based company, to automate recycling sorting and collect real-time data on recycling streams, potentially reducing landfill waste and increasing recycled materials in packaging.
Amazon continues to advance its sustainability initiatives, improving packaging, electrifying its delivery fleet, and investing in renewable energy. The company is committed to providing a sustainable shopping experience and looks forward to sharing more progress in future sustainability reports.
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