Amazon says it will phase out plastic padded mailers

Amazon says it will eventually stop shipping packages in plastic padded bags in an effort to reduce packaging waste, according to Sustainability.com. reports The company released on Tuesday.

“We are phasing out plastic padded bags in favor of recyclable alternatives,” the report said. But it’s missing an important detail: a time frame for when the company plans to make the change.

The company did not respond to questions about its plan ledge, “Our first goal is to completely eliminate packaging wherever possible, and when additional Amazon packaging is needed to ship a product, we look to our customers for increased recyclability,” Amazon spokeswoman Elizabeth Fine said in an email. And try to optimize that packaging for lower carbon emissions.”

less than 10 percent How much of the world’s plastic waste has ever been recycled? The stuff is harder to recreate than paper; Plastic bottles are often “downcycled” into low-quality materials such as carpeting. And recycling plastic bags is even more difficult. Since municipal recycling programs generally cannot take plastic bags or film, most people in the US have to carry their Amazon mailers. designated drop-off location If they want to avoid landfill.

The e-commerce giant probably uses more flexible plastic packaging than any other company in the world. According to activist shareholders Which has inspired the company to come up with a plan to cut down on its waste. After packages reach customers’ doorsteps, a lot of plastic ends up in landfills or ends up in the ocean because it’s not accepted by most curbside pick-up recycling programs. Advocates say that’s why Amazon discontinuing its ubiquitous blue-and-white padded packaging could have a significant impact on the amount of plastic pollution growing in the environment.

“If the Amazon follows through, it’s good news for the oceans,” said Matt Littlejohn, senior vice president of the conservation organization Oceana. Press release, “The company must also commit to a phasing out time frame and make an explicit commitment to reduce all its plastic packaging other than padded mailers, but this is real progress and will mean far less single-use plastic.” will make its way across the seas of the world.”

Amazon plans to use 11.6 percent less single-use plastic in its global shipping in 2022 than a year ago, the company said in its sustainability report. To do this, Amazon turned to more paper materials and tried to make packages lighter. But that figure only includes Amazon-owned-and-operated fulfillment centers, not its network of third-party preparation and packing facilities.