Amazon Reveals Plastic Packaging Reduction Initiative

Amazon has announced a sustainability-focused modification that has replaced 95 percent of plastic air pillows with paper alternatives when packaging and shipping products. The retail giant intends to fully remove the plastic material from its North American supply chain by the end of the year.

Just like the plastic air pillows, the paper fillers are included in a delivery package to prevent product damage; however, the paper alternative offers improved recyclability.

“I’m proud of the cross-Amazon collaboration to make a positive impact on the customer delivery experience with easier-to-recycle materials. It’s a great example of how we thoughtfully test and scale new solutions to protect our customer experience,” said Pat Lindner, VP of mechatronics and sustainable packaging at Amazon, in a statement. “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.”

The initiative began last October with a pilot in an automated fulfillment center in Ohio wherein the retailer eliminated plastic delivery packaging entirely.

“Through our testing of paper filler—which included an assessment by a third-party engineer lab—we discovered that it offers the same, if not better, protection to products than plastic air pillows. The paper filler is also curbside recyclable, making it easier for our customers to recycle at home, and made from 100 percent recycled content,” said Amazon in a statement.