The Australian arm of Amazon has overhauled its delivery packaging towards total recyclability.
From this week, all local last-mile delivery packaging from Amazon will use recyclable paper and cardboard alternatives, alongside recyclable tape. This includes items sold by Amazon Australia and third-party selling partners that use Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA).
Amazon globally sells a wide range of goods, including clothing, footwear and accessories.
There will still be instances where some shipping may include plastic, including if the package is shipped by third-party sellers to customers directly. Bubble wrap may also still be used, particularly for fragile items such as glass or to seal liquid products such as shampoo.
Amazon Australia country manager Janet Menzies said this is two years in the making and follows other key milestones including the replacement of single-use plastic air pillows with recyclable paper filler to protect goods during shipping since 2021, and reducing box weights by 25 per cent and label sizes by 50 percent in 2023.
“Moving to 100 per cent recyclable delivery packaging in Australia is a major milestone for us,” Menzies said. “We have removed all single-use plastic delivery bags and envelopes from our local distribution network. Customers are now able to easily recycle all their Amazon delivery packaging by placing it in their recycling bins.
“This project has been almost two years in the making, following a rigorous process of product development and testing to ensure the paper envelopes can also withstand the delivery process and customer orders arrive safely.”
As part of its ongoing commitment to reduce packaging, Amazon Australia recently invested in three automated paper packaging machines that pack single products in paper bags that are made on demand for the item.
Developed by Amazon, these machines scan items such as video games, kitchen gadgets, sports equipment, and office supplies – which were previously sent in boxes or plastic padded envelopes – and securely pack them in a paper bag from a selection of three different size options.
The paper bags are reportedly 77 per cent lighter than similar-sized plastic padded envelopes.
Additionally, Amazon also allows shipping in the original product packaging with just an address label added.
Globally since 2015, Amazon claims it has reduced the weight of outbound packaging per shipment by 43 per cent on average, and avoided more than 3 million metric tons of packaging material.
Since 2021, the number of products shipped without additional Amazon packaging has more than tripled in Australia.
According to Australian Packaging Covenant CEO Chris Foley, Australians generate 1.2 million tonnes of plastic packaging each year, with single-use plastics posing a significant challenge.
He said Amazon Australia’s decision to shift to recyclable packaging is a strong milestone.
“This initiative showcases their ability to pivot towards solutions that are not only better for the environment but also aligned with the growing demand for more readily recyclable materials."