Amazon and Indian university explore agricultural waste-based mailers

Amazon has entered into a research collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee to explore the use of agricultural waste as a raw material for recyclable packaging.

The project focuses on converting crop residues generated in India into paper-based mailers, with the aim of reducing reliance on plastics and virgin wood pulp. According to Amazon, India produces an estimated 500 million tonnes of agricultural waste each year, much of which is currently underutilised or disposed of through practices such as open-field burning.

The 15-month research programme is being carried out at IIT Roorkee’s Department of Paper and Packaging Technology, within its Innovations in Paper and Packaging (INNOPAP) laboratory. The work involves processing agricultural residues including wheat straw and sugarcane by-products into fibre suitable for paper production.

As part of the process, the crop waste is treated in a digester to break down the raw material into pulp, which is then washed and screened to remove impurities. The resulting fibre is formed into paper through pressing and drying stages. The mailer samples produced are designed to meet defined performance requirements for strength and recyclability.

The project aims to develop lightweight paper mailers that can serve as an alternative to conventional plastic packaging or paper products made from virgin wood pulp. In addition to material efficiency, the research also considers end-of-life outcomes, with the resulting packaging intended to be recyclable and suitable for home composting.

Sustainability is no longer a choice, it is an urgent national priority. This collaboration between IIT Roorkee and Amazon is a step towards realizing India’s vision of a circular economy, aligned with government missions.

By transforming agricultural residues into biodegradable packaging materials, we are addressing the twin challenges of stubble burning and a reliance on virgin materials in India, while creating scalable solutions that can benefit industries, farmers, and society at large. This initiative showcases how academic research and industry partnerships can accelerate India’s journey towards a more sustainable, and self-reliant future.

Prof. Kamal Kishore Pant, Director IIT Roorkee.

Beyond packaging applications, the initiative also addresses wider environmental and economic considerations. By creating a potential use for agricultural residues, the research could contribute to reduced crop burning and provide an additional revenue stream for farmers supplying waste material.

At Amazon, we are building and managing India’s fastest, safest, and most reliable operations network, and we’re committed to making it more sustainable. As part of this effort, we’re partnering with IIT Roorkee to develop innovative packaging from crop residue.

Abhinav Singh, Vice President of Operations at Amazon India.

The collaboration forms part of Amazon’s broader efforts to assess alternative packaging materials through academic and research partnerships.