Amazon chooses paper over plastic and announces a major change in its packaging

The move comes after a study by an ocean conservation group found that Amazon generated 599 million pounds of plastic packaging waste in 2020.

Amazon is changing the way it packages packages, replacing plastic air cushions with recycled paper, a move the company says is more environmentally friendly and will provide as much, “if not better” protection. .

The change, announced Thursday, is part of a multi-year plan to remove plastic delivery packaging from distribution centers across North America.

The company says replacing the estimated 15 billion plastic pillows used each year with recycled paper constitutes “the largest reduction in plastic packaging in North America to date.”

Amazon aims to “completely eliminate” plastic air cushions in packaging by the end of the year, according to Pat Lindner, vice president of mechatronics and sustainable packaging. He adds that most, if not all, packages ordered and delivered on Prime Day in July will be wrapped with filler paper.

“We want to make sure customers receive their items in good condition, while using as little packaging as possible to avoid waste and prioritizing recyclable materials,” Amazon said in a press release.

Paper is in, plastic is out, says Amazon

The shift to filler paper began in October, when Amazon began testing the eco-friendly alternative at a fulfillment center in Ohio, the company said.

A change in machines, employee cooperation and a new supplier allowed the company to switch to paper filler for 95% of its shipments in less than a year, Amazon said.

The shift from plastic to paper is one example of Amazon’s ongoing efforts to reduce waste over the years, citing campaigns, programs and partnerships that aim to “reduce packaging, increase selective recyclability across all operations and ensure that products reach customers in good condition.

Millions of pounds of waste created by Amazon packaging, study finds

Amazon generated 599 million pounds of plastic packaging waste in 2020, an increase of about 20% from 2019, according to Oceana, an advocacy group dedicated to ocean conservation that said it arrived at that figure after analyzing e-commerce packaging data.

Packaging waste from air cushions alone could circle the Earth more than 600 times, according to the study.

“Oceana estimates that up to 23.5 million pounds of Amazon’s plastic packaging waste entered and polluted the world’s waterways and oceans in 2020, the equivalent of dumping a plastic delivery van in the oceans every 67 minutes,” the group wrote.

At the time, Oceana urged Amazon to “significantly reduce its plastic footprint” by banning the use of single-use plastic packaging worldwide. The company should also offer its customers plastic-free packaging at checkout and systematically report its plastic footprint, among other measures.

In its statement on eliminating plastic air cushions, Amazon said the company’s teams “work every day to promote our sustainability initiatives across our operations and provide customers with a more sustainable shopping experience “.

Amazon’s most recent sustainability report can be viewed here.