June 24, 2024 – Amazon announced last Thursday that it has removed 95% of plastic air cushions from its packaging in North America, replacing them with paper-based dunnage made from 100% recycled materials.
This marks Amazon’s largest plastic packaging reduction initiative in North America, aiding in the elimination of nearly 15 billion plastic air cushions annually.
In a statement, Pat Lindner, Vice President of Mechatronics and Sustainable Packaging at Amazon, said, “Our goal is to completely phase out plastic air cushions in North America by the end of this year. We will continue to innovate, test, and scale, prioritizing the use of curbside recyclable materials.”
It’s worth noting that Amazon began phasing out plastic air cushions in October 2023, when it announced the establishment of its first automated distribution center in the United States, with the aim of eliminating plastic delivery packaging. Amazon has partnered with suppliers to source paper-based dunnage that can be recycled curbside.
