Amazon has unveiled its largest reduction in plastic packaging to date, replacing 95% of plastic air pillows with paper filler in its delivery packaging.
“We’re constantly inventing and thinking big to make our packaging small. We want to ensure that customers receive their items undamaged, while using as little packaging as possible to avoid waste, and prioritizing recyclable materials,” said Pat Lindner, VP of Mechatronics and Sustainable Packaging at Amazon.
This initiative marks Amazon’s significant effort in reducing plastic packaging, avoiding nearly 15 billion plastic air pillows annually. For Prime Day this year, almost all customer deliveries will not contain plastic air pillows.
“Our teams collaborated with suppliers to source paper filler made from 100% recycled content, while also coordinating the transition across hundreds of our fulfillment centers,” Lindner added.
Through testing, Amazon found that paper filler offers comparable, if not better, protection to products than plastic air pillows. The paper filler is also curbside recyclable, making it easier for customers to recycle at home.
“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,” said Christian Garcia, a fulfillment associate at Amazon’s BFL1 fulfillment center in Bakersfield, California.
This effort builds on Amazon’s ongoing investment in reducing packaging and increasing curbside recyclability across its operations, including programs like shipping items without additional packaging. In 2022, 11% of all packages shipped by Amazon globally were without added Amazon delivery packaging through the Ships in Product Packaging program.
Amazon is also investing in new materials and recycling solutions. For example, it has teamed up with the U.S. Department of Energy to bring new materials and recycling programs to life, and is piloting new technology with Glacier, a San Francisco-based AI and robotics company, to automate the sorting of recyclables and collect real-time data on recycling streams for companies.
“We’re working every day to further our sustainability initiatives in our operations and provide customers with a more sustainable shopping experience,” Lindner said. “We look forward to continuing to share our progress.”