Welcome to the world of transparency… literally. You’ll soon get to know your next-door-neighbor a bit more personal than what you are prepared for. To be honest, you won’t be able to avoid it. His/her Amazon deliveries without a wrapper will stand out like a sore thumb on their front porch.
Products without a cover
The retail giant has announced that more products will now be delivered without an additional cover. Amazon has a Ship in Own Container (SIOC) program, where eligible items are delivered in its original manufacturer’s packaging. There won’t be any additional carton box or paper bag covering the items. This will apply to any parcel size, price tag or content. “This allows us to eliminate unnecessary packaging altogether. [It will also] reduce the weight of deliveries,” said the company in a media release.
Environmentalists say 1.9 million tones of packaging waste produces the same amount of greenhouse gas as 860,000 cars.
According to a DeliveryX Packaging 2023 report, unpacking parcels is a big thing in the UK. The survey targeted around 100 online shoppers between the ages 18 to 75. Half of the participants said the packaging experience was important. Nearly 10% said it was crucial to have the unboxing experience.
It seems unwrapping a purchased item is part of the shopper’s journey. There is now more pressure on e-commerce businesses to consider sustainable packaging solutions.
Amazon’s sustainability goals
Just last month Amazon revealed that it reduced its single-use plastic packaging by 11.6%. It’s also phasing out padded bags made from plastic to replace it with recyclable alternatives.
Since 2015, Amazon reduced its packaging weight per shipment by over 38%. It also eliminated more than 1.5 million tons of packaging. The retail giant aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. It wants to shift to electric delivery vehicles, using recyclable packaging, and minimizing waste.
Packaging innovation
In 2021 North America managed to avoid 30,000 tons of plastic ending up on landfill sites. Through Amazon’s Frustration-Free Packaging (FFP) 2 million parcels were delivered without extra plastic. Vendors were encouraged through incentives to ship products without additional packaging by passing a test for Ship in Own Container.
Amazon is reinventing its delivery process by making constant changes and improvements to reduce its carbon footprint and speed. Four years and $800 million later, it now has the capacity to double the number of same-day fulfillment centers. This is to increase the volume and turnaround time of deliveries.
Through collaboration with suppliers, Amazon managed to inspire manufacturers to rethink their product designs and packaging. With more such collaborations Amazon seems to be on the right path to achieve its 2040 goal.
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About the author
Mia is a multi-award-winning journalist. She has more than 14 years of experience in mainstream media. She's covered many historic moments that happened in Africa and internationally. She has a strong focus on human interest stories, to bring her readers and viewers closer to the topics at hand.
