Amazon confirmed on Thursday that it has eliminated 95% of the plastic air cushions from its packaging in North America. These will be swapped with paper filling derived from 100% recycled materials. This initiative represents Amazon’s most extensive reduction in plastic packaging and will facilitate the elimination of nearly 15 billion plastic air cushions yearly.
“We are committed to phasing out plastic air cushions in North America by the end of this year. We will persist in our efforts to develop, trial, and expand the use of curbside recyclable materials,” said Pat Lindner, Vice President of Mechatronics and Sustainable Packaging in the announcement.
In October 2023, the e-commerce giant commenced the transition away from plastic packaging by introducing its inaugural U.S. automated fulfillment center focusing on eradicating plastic delivery packaging. Collaborating with suppliers, Amazon procured paper fillers that are also recyclable through curbside programs.
This latest endeavor is part of Amazon’s continuous commitment to reducing packaging waste. In 2015, the company initiated the Ships in Product Packaging program with the aim of diminishing the reliance on Amazon’s iconic brown boxes and instead dispatching items in their original packaging.
