Amazon is taking bold steps to innovate its packaging, aiming to minimize environmental impact while ensuring products reach customers safely. A major milestone in this journey is the near elimination of plastic air pillows, a move that significantly reduces waste in its North American fulfillment centers. The initiative is set to prevent nearly 15 billion plastic air pillows annually. Starting with Prime Day and extending beyond, almost all customer deliveries will be free of plastic air pillows.
“I am proud of the cross-Amazon collaboration to make a positive impact on the customer delivery experience with easier-to-recycle materials. It is 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. “We are working towards full removal in North America by the end of the year and will continue to innovate, test, and scale in order to prioritize curbside recyclable materials.”
Last October, Amazon introduced its first automated fulfillment center in Ohio, marking a key milestone in transitioning from plastic air pillows to recyclable paper fillers for 95% of shipments in less than a year. The shift involved partnering with suppliers to source 100% recycled paper fillers and adapting the operations of hundreds of fulfillment centers. This extensive effort included working with thousands of employees to upgrade machinery and hosting training sessions for the new systems and machines.
Amazon conducted tests on the paper filler, which included an evaluation by an independent engineering lab. The results revealed that the paper filler offers “the same, if not better” protection for products compared to plastic air pillows. Furthermore, it is made from 100% recycled materials and can be recycled curbside, allowing consumers to easily dispose of their packaging through household recycling programs. The response from fulfillment center employees has also been very positive.
“I am so excited we are changing over to paper. It is not only easier to work with, but the machinery gives us more space so it is easier to pack orders. And Iam proud to be a part of a change that allows customers to recycle at home,” said Christian Garcia, fulfillment associate at our BFL fulfillment center in Bakersfield, California.