Published: November 11, 2024 Updated: October 1, 2024
Major Milestone in Sustainable Packaging: Reducing Plastic Waste
In a significant move towards sustainability, one of our favorite companies – Amazon, has announced the removal of 95% of plastic air pillows from its packaging. This initiative is part of a multi-year effort to eliminate plastic delivery packaging from North American fulfillment centers, aiming to avoid nearly 15 billion plastic air pillows annually. This move allegedly marks the largest plastic packaging reduction effort in North America to date.
In a company article, Pat Lindner, VP of Mechatronics and Sustainable Packaging, stressed the importance of the initiative to make a better impact on the delivery experience with “easier-to-recycle materials”.
To further Amazon’s vision for recycling, the company announced its first U.S. automated fulfillment center in Ohio last year. The center is designed to eliminate plastic delivery packaging where the plastic air pillows will now transition to paper sourced from 100% recycled content. The paper filler is expected to replace 95% of the filler in packages and as a result, the company has updated machinery and trained employees on the new sustainable processes.
Building on a Legacy of Sustainability
This initiative builds on the company’s ongoing investment in reducing packaging and increasing curbside recyclability. For instance, in 2022, Amazon launched “Ships in Product Packaging”, where 11% of all packages shipped globally were without additional delivery packaging.
Amazon is also focused on inventing new materials and recycling solutions that benefit both customers and the environment. Collaborations with the U.S. Department of Energy and companies like Glacier, a San Francisco-based AI and robotics firm, are helping develop AI-powered robots to automate the sorting of recyclables. These technologies collect real-time data on recycling streams, reducing landfill waste and increasing the use of recycled materials in packaging.
This journey towards sustainability is ongoing but these efforts made by Amazon can make a significant impact on reducing plastic waste and promoting a greener future.
