95% of the plastic air pillows used in Amazon’s North American delivery packaging have been replaced with paper filler, the company claims, with a complete phase-out expected by the end of the year.
This initiative represents Amazon’s largest plastic packaging reduction effort in North America, avoiding nearly 15 billion plastic air pillows annually.
The company’s fulfillment center in Ohio tested this transition, sourcing paper filler from 100% recycled content. The company collaborated with suppliers and fulfillment center employees to implement new machinery and systems. Third-party engineer lab assessments confirmed that paper filler provides equal or better protection than plastic air pillows.
“I’m proud of the cross-Amazon collaboration to make a positive impact on the customer delivery experience with easier to recycle materials. It’s a great example of how we thoughtfully test and scale new solutions to protect our customer experience,” said Pat Lindner, VP of Mechatronics and Sustainable Packaging. “We are working towards full removal in North America by end of year and will continue to innovate, test, and scale in order to prioritize curbside recyclable materials.”