June 21, according to foreign media news, with the growing awareness of environmental protection, global e-commerce giant Amazon recently announced that it has significantly reduced the use of plastic air cushions in its packages in response to the global call to reduce plastic pollution.
According to Amazon officials, the company has reduced the use of plastic air mattresses in its delivered packages by as much as 95 percent and plans to stop using such plastic products altogether by the end of this year. In their place will be eco-friendly shredded paper fillers, a change designed to reduce unnecessary waste and promote the wider use of recycled materials.
Amazon said the decision is part of its strategy to phase out plastic in its distribution centers, aiming for greener logistics operations. The move also underscores the company's commitment to environmental responsibility and its determination to reduce plastic waste generation.
The issue of plastic pollution has always been a global environmental concern. In recent years, as e-commerce has grown exponentially and online shopping has proliferated, the use of plastic packaging has risen dramatically, raising concerns about the impact of plastic waste. A study released in 2021 by Oceana, a nonprofit marine conservation organization, noted that Amazon generated a whopping 599 million pounds of plastic waste in 2020, with the amount of waste generated by plastic air pillows alone being extremely alarming.
The change by Amazon has been widely welcomed by environmental organizations and consumers. Reducing the use of plastic air mattresses not only helps reduce plastic pollution, but also promotes the use of renewable and recyclable materials in e-commerce logistics.
