On Nov. 17, multinational e-commerce giant Amazon said in a statement that it switched to 100 percent recyclable paper bags, cardboard envelopes and boxes for its deliveries in Europe.
In the past year alone, Amazon used 85,916 tons of single-use plastic worldwide to ship products to customers. However, European packaging regulations are putting pressure on companies to phase out single-use plastic packaging as soon as possible and move to 100 percent recyclable paper and cardboard packaging.
In a statement, Amazon said it has been working to find low-carbon alternatives to virgin plastics that are both waterproof and flexible enough for e-commerce delivery. The statement also revealed more details about the collaboration with Novamont on plastics innovation.
Amazon is working with Italian bioplastics manufacturer Novamont, which was recently acquired by Versalis, the chemical subsidiary of Italian oil giant Eni Group. They are piloting bags in Italy and Spain made from bio-based and biodegradable materials obtained from starch and vegetable oils. Customers can place these bags in their local compostable waste collection stream or compost them at home, as these materials are certified for industrial and home composting. Bioplastics can also be recovered through recycling. Amazon, along with Novamont, is testing new models to collect these bags from customers and recycle them using mechanical and chemical recycling techniques.
"The new technology means it's possible to turn old biobags into new ones indefinitely," Amazon said in a statement. "We are trialling the bags in different parts of the business to see how the material performs in different applications."
Despite these efforts, critics point out that the problem of packaging pollution cannot be solved by switching to single-use materials, but by focusing on reduction and reuse programs. In this regard, Amazon says it is testing reusable bags in the UK and France. These bags are designed to be durable and sealed with Velcro so they can be reused multiple times.
Amazon is phasing out single-use packaging plastic bags in 2019 in Europe and abolishing blue and white plastic mail in July 2023 in the US.
Since January 2023, France has authorized on-site food services that serve food and beverages in reusable containers.
