Amazon ditching air pillow packaging for recycled paper in North America

Amazon announced Thursday that North American deliveries will ditch its air pillow packaging in favor of recycled paper filler, the latest move in the shipping company’s sustainability push.

The company noted that 95 percent of its air pillow packaging in the region has already been removed, and it hopes to eliminate the rest before the end of the year.

In its “largest plastic packaging reduction effort in North America,” Amazon said it will eliminate nearly 15 billion plastic air pillows each year.

“I’m proud of the cross-Amazon collaboration to make a positive impact on the customer delivery experience with easier to recycle materials,” said Pat Lindner, Amazon’s vice president of mechatronics and sustainable packaging. “It’s a great example of how we thoughtfully test and scale new solutions to protect our customer experience.”

“We are working towards full removal in North America by end of year and will continue to innovate, test, and scale in order to prioritize curbside recyclable materials,” he added.

The company said that nearly all of its deliveries for its Prime Day event next month will not contain plastic air pillows. The paper filler comes from suppliers who use 100 percent recycled materials and provides the same amount of protection, if not more, than the air pillows, Amazon said.

Christian Garcia, an associate who works at an Amazon fulfillment center in Bakersfield, Calif., said in the press release she is happy that the company is transitioning to paper packaging.

“I’m so excited we’re changing over to paper,” she said. “It’s not only easier to work with, but the machinery gives us more space so it’s easier to pack orders.”

“And I’m proud to be a part of a change that allows customers to recycle at home,” Garcia added.

Updated at 6:13 pm EST.