How Amazon is improving packaging and boosting sustainability

Key takeaways

Amazon has avoided 5.4 million metric tons of packaging since 2015.
73% of North America shipments in 2025 were recyclable in household recycling.
28 million products shipped in manufacturers’ packaging in North America and Europe in 2025.

We spend a lot of time thinking about the best way to deliver products to our customers, including how they’re packaged. And when it comes to the packaging, we start with protecting the product to ensure orders will arrive undamaged. From there, we find ways to use less packaging, while prioritizing curbside-recyclable materials.

Image of the multiple space needles and text "Since 2015, Amazon has avoided more than 5.4 million metric tons of packaging—the equivalent weight of nearly 620 of Seattle's Space Needle."

Total packaging reduction: Since 2015, we’ve avoided 5.4 million metric tons of packaging—the equivalent weight of more than 620 of Seattle’s iconic Space Needle.
Plastic packaging reduction: We saw a year-over-year decrease in the number of shipments that contained single-use plastic delivery packaging in North America, from 65% of shipments in 2023 to 37% in 2024 to 27% of shipments in 2025. Altogether, we’ve avoided 224,000 metric tons of single-use plastic packaging since 2020.
Delivered without any packaging: In 2025, we shipped 11% of our orders globally without any additional Amazon packaging.

Let’s take a closer look at the work our teams are doing globally to build on these achievements.

Shipping in product packaging

Our first priority is to remove packaging altogether when possible, and we’ve found that sometimes the best solution is to use what already exists. Our Ships in Product Packaging program tests and certifies products that can ship safely to customers in their original manufacturer’s packaging—without an additional Amazon box, envelope, or bag. This minimizes the packaging used for delivery and allows packages to take up less space in delivery vehicles, increasing our truck fill rate.

Since we launched the Ships in Product Packaging program in 2020, 7.9 billion packages across North America and Europe used only the manufacturers’ packaging and an Amazon shipping label.

In 2025, 28 million unique products were certified for the Ships in Product Packaging program and shipped to customers in North America and Europe. We use machine learning to identify products that will ship safely to customers this way, and work directly with selling partners to redesign their packaging so their products can test and certify for this reduced packaging program.

Initially, the program was primarily offered to vendors, but in February 2024, we expanded the program to allow sellers to participate when using Amazon’s fulfillment network in North America and Europe.

Expanding paper-based packaging

Amazon prioritizes paper-based packaging for additional shipping needs

When additional Amazon packaging is required to ship a product, we prioritize paper-based packaging solutions where possible. This packaging can often be recycled through home recycling pickup.

Across our European fulfillment network, we replaced our single-use plastic delivery bags and air pillows with 100% recyclable paper and cardboard packaging that can be recycled in household recycling in 2022. In Europe, this—combined with other initiatives—has helped us avoid more than 1 billion single-use plastic delivery bags since 2019. Meanwhile, in India, we removed single-use thin-film plastic packaging originating from Amazon’s fulfillment network in the country since 2020. In Japan, we stopped packing items in single-use plastic delivery bags for orders from Amazon fulfillment centers, except for some services such as chilled or frozen products.

As of October 2024, we’ve removed all plastic air pillows from our delivery packaging used at our global fulfillment centers. As part of this transition, we were able to quickly expand our use of paper filler made from 100% recycled content across North America to replace plastic air pillows, our biggest reduction in plastic packaging in North America to date.

We continue to innovate to create new paper-based packaging for our products. This includes the new paper-padded envelope with a shock-absorbent, 100% paper-based lining, available in Europe. The ridged lining keeps products in the envelope safe, and absorbs stress put on the package during its journey to customers’ homes. This new paper-padded envelope is 100% recyclable in household recycling.

Scaling innovations

Individual worker working with smart paper in warehouse.

In 2023, we announced our first U.S. automated fulfillment center to fully eliminate single-use plastic delivery packaging. To do this, our engineers reimagined machinery that previously used plastic, and retrofitted the machines to use a new type of more durable, weather-resistant paper with heat-sealing technology. We also invented new machines with improved made-to-fit technology and transitioned from plastic air pillows to paper filler made from 100% recycled content. This marked the first step in a multiyear effort to transition North America fulfillment centers to paper.

We continue to retrofit our automated packing machines that made plastic bags to now create made-to-fit paper bags across the U.S. In North America, this helped us avoid 288 million plastic bags in 2025. Through our testing and learning, we have developed a new generation of this machine. Updates allow us to pack larger products, helping to increase the number of products that can be packaged in paper bags by 20%. New sensors on the machine help us measure all dimensions of a product, allowing us to create more correctly sized packaging, reducing the amount of paper we use. Variations of this automated packaging technology, which cuts made-to-fit paper bags for individual items, are being used in North America, Europe, Japan, and Australia.

We continue to reduce the amount of plastic per package. In 2025, 52% of fulfillment centers in North America did not ship plastic delivery packaging. As a result, we saw a year-over-year decrease in the number of shipments that contained single-use plastic delivery packaging, from 65% of shipments in 2023, to 37% of shipments in 2024, to 27% of shipments in 2025. This means that, in 2025, 73% of shipments in North America were recyclable in household waste streams, up from 63% in 2024.

Reducing packaging

When an item needs additional Amazon packaging to ensure a damage-free delivery, we aim to use as little packaging as possible. Amazon has designed and built models to determine the most efficient type of packaging for each item it learns about, helping reduce the number of cardboard boxes, filler, tape, and bags used. These models are already widely used in fulfillment centers in North America and Europe, with components being rolled out in additional locations across India, Australia, and Japan.

For example, we often opt to use envelopes and bags for delivery, which are up to 90% lighter than comparable cardboard boxes. In 2025, in North America and Europe, more than 50% of Amazon’s shipments were delivered in lightweight packaging, such as bags or envelopes.

Looking ahead

We will continue to find ways to reduce packaging and increase the use of materials that can be easily recycled. We are committed to improving how orders are shipped, for the good of customers and the planet, and we will continue to share these progress updates with our customers.

Read more about Amazon’s overall sustainability efforts in our annual Sustainability Report.

This story was originally published on December 13, 2022. It was updated on August 26, 2026, to reflect information from Amazon's 2025 Sustainability Report.