Amazon plans to replace 95 percent of plastic air pillows with paper fillers and cease using plastic air packaging by the end of 2024, eliminating “almost 15 billion plastic air pillows annually to reduce its environmental footprint.”
Amazon uses 100 percent recycled paper filler, which is recyclable and “offers the same, if not better, protection,” said Amazon.
“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. “We are working towards full removal in North America by the end of the year and will continue to innovate, test, and scale to prioritize curbside recyclable materials.”
Amazon, in response to the valid concerns raised by environmental groups, including a nonprofit called Oceana, has taken significant steps to address its use of plastic packaging.
Matt Littlejohn, senior vice president of strategic initiatives at Oceana, said that Amazon’s efforts to reduce plastic packaging is welcome news but that there’s still more that the company can do. “While this is a significant step forward for the company, Amazon needs to build on this momentum and fulfill its multiyear commitment to transition its North America fulfillment centers away from plastic,” said Littlejohn. “Then, the company should expand these efforts and push innovations like reusable packaging to move away from single-use packaging everywhere it sells and ships.”
