Amazon Publicly Reports on Plastic Packaging Footprint for First Time - Oceana

Victory | December 15, 2022

Amazon Publicly Reports on Plastic Packaging Footprint for First Time

Amazon, the largest retailer in the world, publicly reported on the amount of plastic packaging it uses for the first time. This disclosure came in response to Oceana’s campaign and efforts to estimate the company’s plastic packaging footprint for the past three years. The packaging Amazon uses, particularly plastic film, is not readily recyclable and is harmful to marine life. In a December 2022 blog, Amazon reported it used 97,222 metric tons (or 214 million pounds) of plastic packaging for orders shipped through its fulfillment centers in 2021. This figure does not include all plastic packaging used in orders sold through the company’s websites, including orders from third-party sellers. Despite the exclusion, this is an important step toward increased transparency for the company. Oceana and our allies will continue to urge Amazon to report on its plastic packaging footprint on a regular basis going forward and to reduce its overall use of single-use plastics.