Amazon advances global packaging reduction and sustainability efforts

Around the world, Amazon continues to focus on reducing packaging and making the materials it uses easier to recycle. The company has shared significant progress in its efforts so far.

Amazon’s packaging strategy starts with protecting products to ensure they arrive undamaged. From there, the company works to minimise the amount of packaging used, while prioritising curbside-recyclable materials.

Key achievements include:

• Total packaging reduction: Since 2015, Amazon has avoided using 4.2 million metric tons of packaging—the equivalent weight of more than 480 of Seattle’s iconic Space Needle.
• Plastic packaging reduction: In 2024, the company reduced total plastic packaging globally by 16.4% and by 9% across its global operations network, building on a 17% reduction in 2022. Since 2020, Amazon has avoided 152,062 metric tons of single-use plastic packaging.
• Delivered without additional packaging: In 2024, 12% of Amazon’s global orders were shipped without any extra Amazon packaging.

Shipping in product packaging

A key priority for Amazon is to remove packaging altogether where possible, often using a product’s existing manufacturer packaging. The Ships in Product Packaging program tests and certifies products that can be delivered safely without an additional Amazon box, envelope, or bag. This approach reduces packaging and allows packages to take up less space in delivery vehicles, improving truck fill rates.

In 2024, 18 million unique products were certified for the program and shipped in North America and Europe. Machine learning helps identify suitable products, and Amazon works with selling partners to redesign packaging so products can meet certification requirements.

Originally available only to vendors, the program expanded in February 2024 to include sellers using Amazon’s fulfillment network in North America and Europe. As a result, nearly 2 million new seller products were certified for the program that year.

Expanding paper-based packaging

When additional Amazon packaging is required, the company prioritises paper-based solutions that can often be recycled through home recycling.

Across its European fulfillment network, Amazon replaced single-use plastic delivery bags and air pillows with 100% recyclable paper and cardboard packaging in 2022, helping avoid more than 1 billion single-use plastic bags since 2019. In India, thin-film plastic packaging was removed from the company’s fulfillment network in 2020, and in Japan, single-use plastic delivery bags were phased out for most products.

By October 2024, Amazon had removed all plastic air pillows from its global fulfillment centers, replacing them with paper filler made from 100% recycled content. In Europe, the company also introduced a new paper-padded envelope with a shock-absorbent, 100% paper lining that is fully recyclable.

Scaling innovations

In 2023, Amazon launched its first U.S. automated fulfillment center to completely eliminate single-use plastic delivery packaging. Engineers adapted and retrofitted machinery to use durable, weather-resistant paper with heat-sealing technology.

By 2024, more than 120 automated packing machines were modified to create made-to-fit paper bags instead of plastic ones, avoiding over 134 million plastic bags that year. Improvements to the technology now allow larger products to be packaged in paper and ensure packaging is correctly sized, further reducing material use.

As a result, 56% of fulfillment centers in North America shipped without plastic delivery packaging in 2024, reducing the share of shipments containing single-use plastic from 65% in 2023 to 37% in 2024.

Reducing packaging volume

When additional packaging is necessary, Amazon uses models to determine the most efficient type for each product, reducing the use of cardboard boxes, filler, tape, and bags.

In many cases, envelopes and bags—up to 90% lighter than comparable boxes—are used. In 2024, nearly 50% of shipments in North America and Europe were delivered in lightweight packaging.

Looking ahead

Amazon remains committed to reducing packaging, increasing recyclability, and improving how orders are shipped for the benefit of customers and the planet. The company will continue to share updates on its progress as it works toward its sustainability goals.

This article was originally published by Amazon.