Amazon has made significant progress in reducing the use of plastic in its packaging by eliminating 95% of the inflated plastic air pillows used to cushion goods being shipped to customers. The e-commerce giant now largely uses recycled paper as a filler, marking its largest plastic packaging reduction effort in North America. This move is expected to avoid nearly 15 billion plastic air pillows annually. Amazon’s vice president of mechatronics and sustainable packaging, Pat Lindner, stated that the company is working towards full removal of plastic packaging in North America by the end of the year and will continue to prioritize curbside recyclable materials as it innovates, tests, and scales its packaging solutions.
The environmental nonprofit Oceana applauded Amazon’s initiative to reduce plastic packaging but urged the company to further build on this momentum and fulfill its commitment to transition its North America fulfillment centers away from plastic. Oceana estimated in a report that Amazon produced 208 million pounds of plastic packaging in the U.S. in 2022, enough to circle the Earth more than 200 times if turned into air pillows. The plastic air pillows and bubblewrap plastic mailers used by Amazon are typically not allowed in curbside recycling, prompting the company to plan a transition to paper products for these mailers in the future.
An unsuccessful shareholder proposal at Amazon’s annual meeting last month called for the exploration of ways to reduce the company’s plastic footprint. Despite this, Amazon reported a decrease of 11.6% in single-use plastic delivery packaging in 2022. Much of the reduction in plastic use came from changes in the company’s operations overseas, particularly in Europe where Amazon replaced single-use plastic packaging with 100% recyclable paper and cardboard options in fulfillment centers. The European Union’s initiatives to ban disposable plastics have played a significant role in these efforts, and Amazon has since brought similar initiatives to the U.S. with a fulfillment center in Ohio becoming the first facility to switch to recyclable paper packaging in October 2023.
Amazon’s announcement to switch to recycled paper in packaging in North America reflects the company’s commitment to sustainability and reducing its environmental impact. By eliminating plastic air pillows and transitioning to paper fillers, Amazon is taking a significant step towards reducing plastic waste in its operations. The company’s continued focus on innovation, testing, and scaling of curbside recyclable materials underscores its dedication to finding eco-friendly packaging solutions. Partnering with environmental organizations like Oceana demonstrates Amazon’s willingness to engage with stakeholders and receive feedback on its sustainability efforts.
While Amazon has made progress in reducing plastic packaging, there is still room for improvement, as highlighted by Oceana’s call for the company to further decrease its plastic footprint and fulfill its commitment to transition away from plastic in North America. Amazon’s plans to replace bubblewrap plastic mailers with paper products and the company’s recent initiative to switch to recyclable paper packaging in a fulfillment center in Ohio indicate a continued effort to prioritize sustainability in its operations. By taking proactive steps to reduce plastic waste and transition to more eco-friendly packaging materials, Amazon is setting an example for other companies in the e-commerce industry to follow suit and prioritize sustainability in their operations.
