Amazon's Prime Day in 2024 will take place in July, expected to stimulate numerous online shopping in North America. With a surge in orders and billions of packing materials, how can it be more sustainable than ever before?

Online shopping has become the norm for consumers. It's convenient, allows for price comparison, and eliminates the need to go out. 

With a wide variety of goods available, many people rely on e-commerce platforms for the convenience of finding good-quality, affordable products without leaving home. However, online shopping has also become one of the culprits in environmental damage. 

Do Plastic Air Pillow Always Protect Products?

To reduce plastic use and replace plastic air pillows, Amazon, the multinational e-commerce company, has switched to paper-based fillers in the North American region.  

In October 2023, Amazon announced that its automated fulfillment center in Ohio would begin testing environmentally friendly materials. To fully achieve plastic reduction, the Amazon team has collaborated with multiple suppliers to use paper-based fillers made from 100% recyclable materials and is coordinating the transformation of hundreds of fulfillment centers.

Through several tests, Amazon found that paper-based fillers made from 100% recyclable materials are not only curbside recyclable, but also provide better protection than plastic air pillows during product transportation. 

Besides testing various plastic reduction possibilities, thousands of employees need to work together to implement the new system and undergo training. 

Plastic reduction initiatives combined with AI and sustainability 

This is said to be the largest plastic reduction initiative, aiming to reduce the use of plastic air pillows by 95% and cut the annual use of plastic air pillows by approximately 15 billion. The ultimate goal is completely stop using plastic air pillows by the end of 2024. On Prime Day in 2024, almost all packages will no longer use plastic air pillows, and the packaging will be made from materials that are easier to recycle. 

In addition, Amazon is collaborating with Glacier, an artificial intelligence and robotics company based in San Francisco, to develop new technology that uses AI-driven robots to sort recyclables and collect real-time data on recycling. This collaboration aims to help reduce landfill waste and increase the use of recyclable materials in packaging.

Amazon has also partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy to develop new eco-friendly materials and recycling programs.

Reflect on shopping habits to prevent impulse buying

To combat the temptations of online shopping, we all need a measuring stick to assess what we truly need. With the dazzling array of advertisements and photos on websites, it’s hard for consumers not to be tempted, fearing they might miss out on any purchasing opportunity. 

Especially when we see promotions like ‘Toda's Picks,’ ‘Must-Buy Today,’ ‘Free Shipping Today,’ or ‘Today Only,’ we need to stay calm. Sometimes, in order to reach the free shipping threshold, we end up adding more items to our cart, which means that instead of saving money, consumers might end up spending more on unnecessary items. 

Online shopping is easy and convenient, letting us buy items anytime and anywhere. While real-time updates on the internet enable consumers to receive the latest information and make early purchase, they can also lead to endless comparisons. 

This article is reposted with permission from "CSR@CommonWealth," with the original title "Amazon's Largest Plastic Reduction Plan in North America Aims to Eliminate 15 Billion Plastic Air Pillows Annually." It is not subject to the CC Creative Commons license.

References:
♦Amazon（2024/6/20），Amazon announces its largest reduction in plastic packaging in North America to date
♦CBBC（2024/6/20），Amazon's ditching the plastic air pillows in its boxes

Source: Environmental Information Center