Amazon has today announced that all items it sells in Europe, as well as those distributed by third-party partners using its Fulfilment by Amazon service, will be delivered in recyclable boxes, bags, and envelopes.
The e-commerce giant today claimed that all flexible paper bags, cardboard envelopes, and corrugated cardboard boxes are now compatible with household recycling services. It also confirmed the number of items shipped without additional packaging had fallen by more than 50 per cent over the past year.
These combined initiatives mean the company has avoided using more than one billion single-use plastic delivery bags from its European distribution network since 2019, according to Amazon estimates.
The tech giant said it is also working with vendors to increase the number of products delivered in easy-to-open, original packaging made from cardboard and paper, that is recyclable and ready to ship to customers without an additional bag or box, with many products now shipped with just an address label.
When packaging is still required, a science-based process is followed to determine the optimum type and size of packaging required so as to ensure the use of lighter, appropriately sized solutions that can cut waste and carbon emissions, Amazon said.
Machine learning has helped determine which smaller products are suitable for flexible packaging, such as paper bags that are up to 90 per cent lighter than similar-sized boxes, it added.
As such, over the past five years Amazon's algorithms have reduced the use of cardboard boxes by over 35 per cent, helped fulfilment centres maintain the right mix of box sizes, and cut packaging for shipments with multiple items.
Pat Lindner, vice president of mechatronics and sustainable packaging at Amazon, said that moving towards more sustainable packaging solutions was part of the company's long-term efforts to deliver on its net zero goals.
"We'll continue to invest in innovative technology, machine learning, and more sustainable materials to ensure packaging - whether used by us or other companies - is good for our customers, communities, and the planet," he said.
More broadly, Amazon is working to reach 100 per cent renewable energy across its operations by 2025 and reach net zero emissions by 2040.
News of Amazon's Europe-wide sustainable packaging rollout comes just weeks after it launched the Clean Energy Procurement Academy alongside the likes of Apple, Meta, Nike, and PepsiCo in a move to help more suppliers switch to renewable power.
Hailed as an industry-first, the Academy has been designed to speed up the integration of clean energy into global supply chains by blending the in-person and online training provided by its founding organisations.
