Amazon’s Packaging Makeover: Paper In, Plastic Out

Amazon Completes Major Sustainability Shift: Plastic Air Pillows Replaced with Paper Filler Across North America

In a sweeping sustainability effort that concluded at the end of 2024, Amazon has officially eliminated plastic air pillows from all its delivery packaging across North America, replacing them with 100% recycled paper filler. The initiative, now fully implemented, has removed nearly 15 billion plastic pillows annually from the e-commerce giant’s supply chain.

This marks the largest plastic packaging reduction initiative in Amazon’s North American history, and sets a new bar for sustainable logistics at scale.

“We’re proud of how our teams came together across engineering, operations, and sustainability to execute this transition quickly and effectively,” said Pat Lindner, VP of Mechatronics and Sustainable Packaging. “This wasn’t just about replacing a material—it was about creating a better customer experience while reducing our environmental footprint.”

Behind the Shift: From Concept to Continental Rollout

The transition began in late 2023 at Amazon’s automated fulfillment center in Ohio, which piloted the use of curbside-recyclable paper filler. Within 12 months, the program scaled to hundreds of fulfillment centers across North America, with new machines, retrained staff, and supplier partnerships all focused on replacing plastic with paper—without compromising product protection.

Third-party lab testing confirmed that the paper filler performed as well as, or better than, the plastic air pillows it replaced. Equally important, the paper filler is easier for customers to recycle at home, supporting Amazon’s long-term packaging goals.

Prime Day 2024: A Turning Point

The company’s Prime Day 2024 served as a major milestone—nearly all customer orders shipped without plastic air pillows. The event acted as a soft launch for the broader rollout, showcasing Amazon’s ability to coordinate change across its massive logistics network.

Feedback from employees was overwhelmingly positive. Many fulfillment center associates reported that the new paper systems were more efficient and made packaging stations easier to manage.

“Switching to paper has been a win for everyone,” said Christian Garcia, a fulfillment associate at Amazon’s Bakersfield, California facility. “It’s easier to work with, and customers appreciate that it’s recyclable. It’s a small change that makes a big difference.”

Part of a Broader Sustainability Strategy

This effort is just one of many steps in Amazon’s evolving approach to sustainable packaging. Through programs like Ships in Product Packaging, where items are sent without additional Amazon-branded boxes, the company continues to explore ways to reduce waste and streamline the customer experience. By 2022, over 11% of Amazon’s global deliveries shipped without added packaging.

Now, in 2025, the company’s move away from plastic air pillows stands as a case study in rapid, scalable environmental innovation—one made possible by cross-functional coordination, long-term supplier partnerships, and a relentless focus on customer satisfaction.

Amazon’s full transition away from plastic air pillows isn’t just a packaging update—it’s a significant move toward scalable sustainability in e-commerce. Eliminating 15 billion plastic pillows a year sets a powerful precedent for what’s possible when operational scale meets environmental responsibility.