Amazon has provided an update on its sustainability initiatives, highlighting significant strides in reducing plastic packaging. The company announced the removal of plastic air pillows from all delivery packaging in North America, replacing them with paper filler made from 100% recycled content. This move follows similar efforts across Europe, India, and other regions. Since 2019, Amazon has replaced over 1 billion single-use plastic bags and has avoided 80,500 metric tons of plastic packaging since 2020.

Amazon’s engineers developed new machinery for automated fulfillment centers, replacing plastic-based processes with paper alternatives. These innovations have reduced the company’s overall plastic footprint, cutting the average weight of plastic packaging per shipment by 9%. Amazon continues to retrofit its facilities with the new technology, aiming to reduce plastic use in North American shipments by a third by the end of 2024.

Additionally, the company announced plans to further improve made-to-fit packaging solutions, using automated systems to measure product dimensions and reduce excess materials. This technology is being implemented across North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia. The company’s efforts are part of a larger mission to meet its sustainability goals while improving packaging efficiency and reducing waste on a global scale.