The interior appearance of some boxes delivered by Amazon will remain the same as the exterior appearance, as the company's devices are being packaged in new, more sustainable materials. The packaging of Echo, Kindle and FireTV products uses a brown kraft carton design, which should be familiar to Amazon customers. On Wednesday, Maiken Moeller-Hansen, head of the company's equipment sustainability department, announced all measures to make packaging friendly to customers and the environment.
Plastic-free: One of the major changes is the elimination of plastic packaging inside and outside the device’s box. Amazon initially used exterior plastic packaging and lamination to protect the boxes from damage during shipping. Now replaced by water-based coatings. Inside the box, recyclable paper packaging is now used to protect the device.
More recycled fiber and less ink: New packaging has an average of 30% more recycled fiber content, reducing reliance on virgin tree fibers and bleached fibers. Ink was also reduced by 60%, giving the unbleached box a brown appearance. Amazon says the chemicals used in bleaching can be harmful to the environment and the bleaching process can be carbon-intensive.
Reduce paper inside: The box will feature a QR code that customers can scan for quick start and detailed setup instructions. Some packaging will also feature tactile markings to help blind and low-vision users find the code.
This week, when Panos Panay, Amazon's vice president of devices and services, handed out free Kindle Paperwhites in Seattle, people saw the new-looking packaging.
In addition to the packaging changes, Moeller-Hansen said Amazon is adjusting how it ships devices to warehouses. For example, the company is looking for ways to box equipment more compactly to increase the number of products that can fit on a pallet. Shipping final assembly by sea rather than by air is said to lower emissions.
The company said it has reduced average packaging weight per shipment by 43% since 2015, avoiding more than 3 million metric tons of packaging. This year, Amazon eliminated plastic air pillows from delivery packaging at its global fulfillment centers, preventing nearly 15 billion plastic air pillows each year.
Reducing and changing packaging is part of Amazon's efforts to reduce significant carbon emissions as part of its climate commitments and to become net-zero by 2040.
This summer, the company reported that its carbon footprint decreased by 3% last year, the second consecutive year of decline. Amazon touted its clean energy achievements and growing electric delivery fleet in its annual sustainability report, while also acknowledging the challenges ahead. For Amazon and other tech giants, ambitious climate goals will face a surge in energy demand brought about by increased use of artificial intelligence and artificial intelligence tools.
The company pushed back against a recent survey of employees by an internal group that questioned Amazon's commitment to combating climate impacts.