Amazon Eliminates Plastic Air Pillows Globally, Moves to Paper Packaging

The e-commerce giant has replaced plastic air pillows with recyclable paper filler in its fulfillment centers worldwide, marking a significant step towards reducing plastic waste.

• Amazon's transition to paper-based packaging aims to curb plastic pollution, particularly in oceans where plastic film poses a threat to marine life.
• The company has already replaced plastic air pillows in Europe, Australia, and India over the past few years, with North America following suit by October 2024.
• Despite this progress, Amazon continues to use plastic in other forms of packaging, aiming to reduce its use in North America by the end of 2024.
• Environmental groups acknowledge the step as significant but urge Amazon to further reduce its overall plastic footprint, including in third-party shipments and grocery packaging.
• Amazon's efforts include retrofitting packing machines to produce paper bags and increasing shipments without additional packaging to enhance sustainability.

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