To certify products under our FFP certification tiers, Amazon identifies specific steps that manufacturers can take to improve their packaging and ensure products are protected all the way to the customer’s doorstep. We partnered with the International Safe Transit Association to craft the standards behind our FFP programmes and have developed a network of structural packaging designers, testing services, and materials suppliers to support manufacturers throughout the certification process. As of June 2021, more than 2 million products qualify under our FFP programmes.
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36 %ReductionOutbound packaging by weight
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1 millionTonsPackaging material eliminated
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2 millionProductsQualify under our FFP Programmes
“It’s been rewarding to find something that is a win, not only for the consumer, but for the company and for the environment.”
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Flexible paper-based mailersWe are increasing our use of flexible paper-based mailers across Europe, allowing us to significantly reduce the use of plastic in packaging materials by the end of 2021.
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Eliminating thin-film plasticsIn India, Amazon eliminated single-use, thin film plastics in packaging in 2020 by replacing plastic materials like bubble wrap and air pillows with paper cushions and introducing plastic-free, biodegradable tape.
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Increasing recycled contentWe are improving the composition of our plastic packaging solutions to use less material and incorporate more recycled content. We are increasing the recycled content of our plastic film bags from 25 % to 50 % in 2021, and from 15 % to over 40 % for our plastic padded bags. Together, these improvements are expected to eliminate more than 25,000 metric tons of new plastic each year.
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Reducing plasticAt our Whole Foods Market stores, we changed to smaller plastic produce bags and replaced all plastic rotisserie chicken containers with bags that use approximately 70 % less plastic. Combined, these changes are estimated to save nearly 900,000 kilos of plastic annually.
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Eliminating plastic straws and polystyreneIn 2019, Whole Foods Market became the first national retailer to remove all plastic straws from its cafes and coffee bars—avoiding 21 million straws annually. We also eliminated all polystyrene meat trays across Whole Foods Market stores in the US and Canada.
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Recyclable grocery solutionsAt Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market in the US, we are rolling out a curbside recyclable solution to keep grocery items frozen or chilled during delivery. This new packaging is produced with recycled paper and eliminates the need for plastic liners or bubble bag insulation.
Optimising Through Machine Learning
How big of a box is needed for a given product? Is an Amazon box needed at all? To optimise packaging selections at Amazon’s scale, we use machine learning algorithms to arrive at the best possible packaging choices for deliveries. That means identifying which products don’t need additional packaging, and which smaller products are suitable for flexible packaging, such as padded mailers and bags, which are up to 75 % lighter than similar-sized boxes. Flexible packaging conforms around products, reducing the need for additional packing materials, and takes up 40 % less space than a box during delivery. In cases where the protection of a box is needed, machine learning helps us continuously optimise box choices to fit our ever-changing catalogue of products and redesign boxes to use less material. When packaging weighs less and is the right size to protect customer orders, we can pack more orders into each delivery, resulting in fewer trips and less fuel used.
We also use machine learning to identify products where even small packaging improvements can have significant impacts on reducing waste. For example, we developed a machine learning model to identify liquid products with the highest average rates of customer-reported damages. We subject those products to extensive testing at our Amazon Packaging Lab, where we simulate a package’s journey from the manufacturer to the customer, providing data and insights we can share with manufacturers to improve their packaging design.
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International Safe Transit AssociationInternational Safe Transit Association
Amazon joined the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA), an organization focused on the specific concerns of transport packaging. ISTA is a nonprofit, member-driven association that sets the standards for optimizing the resources in packages that are designed to be survivable, sustainable, and successful. -
Sustainable Packaging CoalitionSustainable Packaging Coalition
Amazon joined the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), an industry working group dedicated to a more robust environmental vision for packaging. SPC uses strong member support, an informed and science-based approach, supply chain collaborations, and continuous outreach to build packaging systems that encourage economic prosperity and a sustainable flow of materials.
