Amazon announces that it has removed plastic air cushions.
There is still a lot to be done to combat plastic pollution.
Amazon has announced that it has removed plastic air pillows from its warehouses. Starting in October 2024, the company has ceased using this type of packaging at its distribution centers globally, as reported in a post on October 9. This measure is a welcomed step after years of pressure from environmental groups urging a reduction in plastic pollution affecting the oceans. The company continues to work on reducing the use of single-use plastics in its packaging overall.
Matt Littlejohn, senior vice president of strategic initiatives at the nonprofit organization Oceana, called the decision "fantastic news for the world's oceans." He added that the elimination of plastic air pillows represents a significant advance, considering that this type of plastic material is one of the most common in the debris found near coastlines, and it is also the type of plastic pollution most harmful to large mammals like whales and dolphins, who may ingest it.
This statement from Amazon comes after a commitment made in June to phase out plastic air pillows in North America by the end of this year. In 2022, it replaced these pillows and single-use delivery bags with paper and cardboard alternatives in Europe, and it previously eliminated plastic film packaging at its facilities in India in 2020. Although the United States remains Amazon's largest market, the company has not yet fully eliminated plastic from its packaging in North America. However, it plans to reduce the use of "Amazon-added plastic delivery packaging" to one-third of shipments by December, down from two-thirds in December 2023.