The world’s largest online retailer announced its biggest-ever reduction in plastic packaging, a move environmental critics called “a significant step forward.”
Amazon said Thursday it has already replaced plastic air pillows with recycled paper filler in 95 percent of packages at its North American fulfillment centers, and it is slated to reach 100 percent by the end of this year.
Advocacy nonprofit Oceana estimates those plastic air pillows accounted for over one-third of all e-commerce plastic packaging weight worldwide in 2022.
“I’m proud of the cross-Amazon collaboration to make a positive impact on the customer delivery experience with easier to recycle materials,” Pat Lindner, Amazon’s vice president of mechatronics and sustainable packaging, said in a statement. “It’s a great example of how we thoughtfully test and scale new solutions to protect our customer experience.”
