Amazon has recently disclosed additional details about its sustainability approach concerning packaging. These initiatives include creating packaging that is easily recyclable at curbside, utilizing machine learning algorithms to determine the most appropriate package sizes, and implementing the Ship in Own Container program, aimed at reducing unnecessary packaging. According to Oceana, approximately 49% of Amazon’s shareholders voted in favor of the company taking measures to address its plastic usage during the Annual General Meeting in May 2022.
Accompanying this development, a report indicated that Amazon’s plastic waste resulting from e-commerce sales in 2021 reached around 709 million pounds. This figure surpassed the previous estimate of 599 million pounds for 2020 by approximately 18%.
Matt Littlejohn, senior vice president for strategic initiatives at Oceana, expressed his concerns about Amazon’s plastic packaging. He said, “The science is clear, the type of plastic used by Amazon for its packaging is a threat to the oceans. Customers and shareholders are calling for the company to act.”
He emphasized the need for Amazon to follow its proactive stance on climate issues and take decisive action by committing to a worldwide reduction in its utilization of plastic packaging. This call to action aimed to address the environmental impact of plastic waste and promote more sustainable practices in the company’s operations.
Currently, Amazon asserts its commitment to two key goals: minimizing waste and ensuring damage-free delivery. To achieve this, the company is focusing on optimizing the type, material, and weight of additional packaging used in its shipments. Amazon aims to limit the usage of extra packaging to only those applications necessary for ensuring safe product delivery.
Furthermore, Amazon has set its own ambitious targets, aiming for increased kerbside recyclability of its packaging and a reduction in carbon emissions associated with its packaging materials.
Indeed, to achieve its goals of minimized waste and damage-free delivery while also promoting recyclability and reduced carbon emissions in its packaging, Amazon is employing a science-based approach. The company is leveraging various advanced technologies and partnerships to drive its sustainability efforts.
As part of one of its initiatives, Amazon aims to enhance the recyclability of its packaging by focusing on kerbside recycling programs. To achieve this, the company plans to eliminate the use of flexible bags that combine plastic and paper, as these are notoriously difficult to recycle (being 99% harder to recycle). Instead, Amazon is opting for more recyclable alternatives. A case in point is the introduction of its paper-padded mailer, which was implemented across the United States and Canada in 2022.
The paper-padded mailer introduced by Amazon consists of four layers of paper and a water-based cushioning material. These components are specially designed to separate during the recycling process, ensuring efficient recycling. This innovative packaging maintains the flexibility of previous packaging solutions while offering the same recyclability as corrugated boxes. Additionally, it takes up less space during transit and within recycling bins, contributing to more efficient logistics and recycling operations.
Previously, Amazon had acknowledged that its plastic film could be recycled at drop-off store locations, but it was not yet suitable for kerbside recycling at the time of its 2021 Sustainability Report publication. However, the company has made strides in improving recyclability. It now affirms that, except for coolants, all the materials used in its one-way delivery packaging in the EU are kerbside recyclable. Furthermore, approximately 92% of the packaging material weight in the US and Canada (excluding coolants and produce bags) is compatible with kerbside recycling.
Greenpeace has previously accused Amazon of using plastics that are either entirely unrecyclable or not valuable to recyclers. Despite this, Amazon is now highlighting its collaborations with organizations like The Recycling Partnership and the Sustainable Packaging Coalition to enhance recycling infrastructure and practices.
Additionally, Amazon’s Ship in Own Container (SIOC) program aims to deliver products using the manufacturer’s original packaging, eliminating the need for additional packaging. By doing so, the initiative aims to reduce packaging weight and minimize unnecessary material usage.
An example of Amazon’s sustainable packaging efforts is evident in its Ship in Own Container (SIOC) program, as seen with a Samsung 49” Series 5 TV. By utilizing SIOC packaging for this product, Amazon has managed to eliminate nine unnecessary packaging components, resulting in a remarkable 69% reduction in packaging volume. Additionally, compared to standard packaging, this approach cuts out a significant 87% of shipped air.
To expand the SIOC program, Amazon is actively identifying, evaluating, and certifying items that are already packed in shipping-suitable materials. The company aims to encourage its selling partners and vendors to adapt their packaging to meet these environmentally friendly standards.
Furthermore, Amazon employs machine learning algorithms to match each individual product with the most efficient and protective packaging option available. Lightweight packaging, such as flexible paper bags and envelopes, is given priority whenever feasible. Amazon claims that these alternatives can be up to 90% lighter than rigid corrugated boxes of similar size, contributing to reduced shipping costs and environmental impact.
Amazon’s commitment to optimizing packaging goes beyond individual items and extends to orders with multiple items. By employing sophisticated algorithms, Amazon seeks to minimize empty space in boxes whenever possible. This optimization process not only saves space but also helps reduce the number of delivery vehicles needed on the road, contributing to more efficient and eco-friendly transportation.
In addition to using algorithms for multi-item orders, Amazon utilizes its web-based PackOpt tool to analyze order patterns at individual facilities. Based on this data, the tool aims to optimize the available cardboard box options. As a result, the company claims to have saved an impressive 60,000 tons of cardboard annually in North America and significantly decreased cardboard waste by 7% to 10% each year.
Amazon’s efforts to reduce plastic usage and overall packaging materials have yielded substantial results. The company reports avoiding the use of 37,150 metric tons of plastic since 2020, and it has eliminated an impressive two million tons of packaging materials from its operations. Furthermore, since 2015, Amazon has managed to reduce packaging weight per shipment by an impressive 41%.
In 2022, Amazon’s dedication to sustainability is evident in its packaging statistics. Around 11% of shipments were delivered with no additional Amazon packaging, 49% were delivered in flexible packaging, and 40% were delivered in corrugated boxes.
Amazon faced criticism from the NewClimate Institute and the Carbon Market Watch, who accused several companies, including Amazon, of exaggerating their sustainability claims by up to 60%. Prior to 2019, Amazon had not publicly disclosed its carbon footprint and did not provide information on its plans for future reporting or achieving net-zero carbon emissions. In its 2021 Sustainability Report, the company admitted that its carbon footprint had actually grown by 18% that year, which raised concerns about the accuracy and transparency of its environmental efforts.
However, looking ahead, Amazon is taking steps to address plastic waste and carbon impact through its participation in the US Department of Energy’s BOTTLE Consortium. The aim is to develop new chemical upcycling strategies for plastics that enable bio-based and biodegradable plastic recycling with a net-zero carbon impact.
Other companies, like Walmart, are also revising their sustainability strategies. Walmart is giving consumers the option to decline single-use plastic bags and is consolidating online orders for multiple items into fewer boxes to reduce waste. The company is also committed to right-sizing its packaging to reduce oversized packaging waste by up to 26%. Additionally, Walmart plans to ship items from its fulfillment centers and stores in recyclable paper bag mailers, which would eliminate around 65 million plastic equivalents from circulation in the US.
