Amazon Puts Plastic Air Pillows to Bed Globally
Following campaigning by Oceana, company announces it has removed all plastic air pillows from its delivery packaging at fulfillment centers worldwide
Press Release Date: October 10, 2024
Location: Washington, DC
Contact:
Gillian Spolarich, Anna Baxter | email: gspolarich@oceana.org, abaxter@oceana.org
202-467-1909, Anna Baxter
Amazon has removed all plastic air pillows from its delivery packaging used at its global fulfillment centers as of October 2024, according to a new announcement from the company. Amazon also stated that it aims to reduce the amount of shipments in North America that include Amazon-added plastic delivery packaging to one-third by December 2024, down from two-thirds in December 2023. This news comes at the tail end of Amazon Prime Day, an often-record-breaking sales event.
In response, Oceana released the following statement from Matt Littlejohn, Oceana’s Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives:
“The fact that the world’s largest e-commerce company has made plastic air pillows history globally is fantastic news for the world’s oceans. Historically, Amazon has used billions of these air pillows every year, which are not curbside recyclable or compostable unlike paper alternatives. Plastic air pillows are made from the most common form of marine plastic litter in nearshore ocean areas — plastic film — which is also the deadliest type of plastic to large marine animals.
“Amazon also plans to reduce plastic packaging to one-third of all shipments in North American-based fulfillment centers by the end of 2024. The company needs to build on this momentum and meet its multiyear commitment to transition its North American fulfillment centers away from single-use plastic packaging entirely. Amazon should, as it has with the elimination of plastic air pillows, make these commitments and reduction on a global basis, and innovate further to facilitate a switch to reuse systems over single-use packaging wherever possible.
“This announcement comes just prior to the planned final negotiations for a new UN global plastic treaty in Busan, South Korea next month. Amazon has demonstrated to other multinational companies — and countries — that delivering global plastic reduction at-scale is possible. Other major corporate plastic polluters, like Coca-Cola, should follow suit.”
Background:
- On Oct. 9, Amazon published a blog post announcing several sustainability and packaging updates including:
- As of October 2024, the company has removed all plastic air pillows from its delivery packaging used at its global fulfillment centers.
- Amazon has committed to reducing the amount of shipments from fulfillment centers in North America that have Amazon-added plastic delivery packaging to one-third of shipments by December 2024, down from two-thirds of shipments in December 2023.
- The company has retrofitted more than 120 of their automated packing machines that made plastic bags to now create made-to-fit paper bags across the U.S.
- This announcement follows the company’s statement in June that it was going to eliminate all plastic air pillows from its operations in North America by the end of the year.
- This news follows years of campaigning by Oceana and its allies for the company to reduce its use of plastic packaging. Oceana has released reports estimating Amazon’s plastic packaging waste footprint, campaigned outside the company’s headquarters, met with company representatives, and advocated for relevant shareholder resolutions.
About Oceana:
Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana is rebuilding abundant and biodiverse oceans by winning science-based policies in countries that control one-quarter of the world’s wild fish catch. With more than 300 victories that stop overfishing, habitat destruction, oil and plastic pollution, and the killing of threatened species like turtles, whales, and sharks, Oceana’s campaigns are delivering results. A restored ocean means that 1 billion people can enjoy a healthy seafood meal every day, forever. Together, we can save the oceans and help feed the world. Visit Oceana.org to learn more.
