22 Dec. 2023: Across the globe, we continue to find new and innovative ways to reduce our packaging and make it easier to recycle. Here’s a look at how we do it and our progress so far.

We spend a lot of time thinking about the best way to deliver products to our customers. When it comes to packaging, we start with protecting the product—ensuring your order will arrive without damage. From there, we find ways to use less packaging and prioritize recyclable materials.

We use a science-based approach that includes continuous materials and technology innovation to find solutions that are good for both customers and the planet. This year, we’ve continued to improve our process by expanding on what works, and creating and testing innovations to solve for what doesn’t.

Get an inside look at how we’re sending some of your orders without Amazon packaging
From vibrations to heavy compression and multiple drops, check out the tests we run on packages to ship them safely and with less packaging.

We’re proud of the progress we’ve made so far:

• Since 2015, we’ve reduced per-shipment packaging weight by 41% on average, avoiding more than 2 million tons of packaging—the equivalent weight of more than 173 of Seattle’s iconic Space Needle.
• In 2022, we decreased single-use plastic delivery packaging by 11.6% across our global operations.
• In 2022, we shipped 11% of our orders globally without any additional Amazon packaging.
• In Europe, we replaced our single-use plastic delivery packaging with 100% recyclable paper and cardboard packaging in our fulfillment network.
• In India, we eliminated single-use, thin-film plastic packaging originating from the country’s fulfilment network.

Let’s take a closer look at how our scientists, engineers, and teams have achieved these numbers and milestones.

Reducing unnecessary packaging
Sometimes the best solution is to use what already exists. Our Ships in Product Packaging program qualifies products that have been thoroughly tested to ship in their original packaging, without any added Amazon packaging.

In 2022, we shipped 11% of our orders without any added Amazon packaging. We use machine learning to identify products that allow for safe shipping without Amazon packaging. We also work directly with selling partners to redesign their packaging, creating innovative solutions that allow their products to ship safely without the need of added packaging from us.

We’re continuing to expand this program across the globe. Since 2021, the number of products shipped without additional Amazon packaging grew by more than 50% in Japan and more than tripled in Australia. In 2022, Amazon grew that number by more than 50% in Europe.

Expanding paper-based packaging
When additional Amazon packaging is required to ship a product, we create paper-based packaging solutions. This packaging can often be recycled at home, while single-use plastic needs to be taken to drop-off centers to be recycled.

In Europe, we have replaced our single-use plastic delivery bags and air pillows with 100% recyclable paper and cardboard packaging in our fulfillment network. We’ve also started using automated packaging technology, which cuts made-to-fit paper packaging for individual items, allowing us to avoid using more than 1 billion single-use plastic delivery bags across Europe. In India, we’ve eliminated single-use, thin-film plastic packaging originating from Amazon’s fulfilment network in the country since 2020. Plus, we’re a founding member of the Indian Plastics Pact, which unites businesses, governments, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to shift from a linear to a circular plastics economy.

In the U.S., we announced our first automated U.S. fulfillment center to fully eliminate single-use plastic delivery packaging. Our engineers reimagined machinery that was previously using plastic, and rebuilt the machines to use a new type of more durable, weather-resistant paper with heat-sealing technology. They also invented new machines with improved made-to-fit technology. At the Ohio automated fulfillment center, we also transitioned from plastic air pillows to paper filler made from 100% recycled content. This was the first step in a multi-year effort to transition more U.S. fulfillment centers to paper.

We’re also using similar machines that create curbside-recyclable, made-to-fit packaging in Japan and Australia. These machines measure a product’s dimensions and then create correct-sized packaging at the time of packing, allowing us to reduce waste by minimizing the amount of material we ship per package.

Correct-sized packaging
When an item needs additional Amazon packaging to ensure a damage-free delivery, we aim to use as little packaging as possible. We use machine learning algorithms to examine the qualities of a product and determine the protective packaging it needs. Over the past five years, these algorithms have helped reduced the use of corrugate boxes by over 35% in North America and Europe. For example, we often opt to use mailers and bags for delivery, which are up to 90% lighter than a similar-sized box.

In addition to helping us identify what products can be sent in mailers or bags, machine learning helps us determine the correctly sized cardboard box. In North America, this has resulted in an annual reduction in cardboard waste of 7% to 10%, saving roughly 60,000 tons of cardboard annually.

Continued progress
Looking ahead, we will continue to find ways to reduce packaging and increase the use of materials that can be easily recycled. We are committed to the improvement of how orders are shipped, for the good of customers and the planet, and we will continue to share these progress updates with our customers.
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