So Long Plastic Air Pillows: Amazon Shifting To Recycled Paper Filling For Packages In North America

Amazon is switching from plastic air pillows used for packing in North America to recycled paper because it is more environmentally friendly and claims paper works better.

The company announced on Thursday that it has already replaced 95% of plastic air pillows in North America with paper filler and plans to eliminate them by the end of the year.

“We want to ensure that customers receive their items undamaged, while using as little packaging as possible to avoid waste, and prioritising recyclable materials,” Amazon’s statement read.

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Amazon Shifting To Recycled Paper Filling For Packages In North America

It is the company’s largest plastic packaging reduction program in North America to date, removing about 15 billion plastic air pillows from use each year.

According to Amazon, almost all customer deliveries for Prime Day this year, next month, would feature plastic rather than air pillows.

Environmental groups, notably the nonprofit Oceana, have long criticized Amazon’s usage of plastic packaging.

Matt Littlejohn, senior vice president of strategic initiatives at Oceana, said that Amazon’s attempts to eliminate plastic packaging are encouraging, but the corporation can still do more.

“While this is a significant step forward for the company, Amazon needs to build on this momentum and fulfil its multiyear commitment to transition its North America fulfilment centres away from plastic,” Littlejohn said in a previous statement. “Then, the company should expand these efforts and also push innovations like reusable packaging to move away from single-use packaging everywhere it sells and ships.”

Amazon investors have also received widespread support, who have encouraged the corporation to clarify how it will cut waste.

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Amazon Shifting To Recycled Paper Filling For Packages In North America

For the first time in 2022, the firm released the entire amount of single-use plastic used throughout its global operations in response to investor inquiries on trash reduction initiatives. The company used 85,916 metric tonnes of single-use plastic that year, representing an 11.6% drop from 2021.

In October, Amazon began phasing out plastic air cushions at an automated fulfillment center in Ohio. The company stated that it was able to test and learn at the center, allowing it to move fast towards shifting to recycled paper filling.

The move involved replacing machinery and educating personnel on new systems and machines.

Amazon established through testing that the paper filler, which is manufactured from 100% recyclable content and is curbside recyclable, provides the same, if not better, protection during shipment than plastic air pillows.

Christian Garcia, who works at Amazon’s fulfillment center in Bakersfield, California, stated in a press release that the paper filler is easy to use and that the machinery allows employees more space to pack orders.

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Amazon Shifting To Recycled Paper Filling For Packages In North America

The company noted that one of its ongoing attempts to reduce waste is a push to distribute things without additional packaging. In 2022, 11% of Amazon’s international packages were shipped without additional delivery packing.

Other efforts include piloting new technologies with artificial intelligence and robotics company Glacier, which will utilize AI-powered robots to automate recyclable sorting and collect real-time data on recycling streams for businesses. It collaborates with the United States Department of Energy on innovative materials and recycling initiatives.

SOURCE – (AP)