Latest news with #PatLindner
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Amazon wins green praise for brown-bag packaging
Aug 13 (Reuters) - Environmentalists cheered when Amazon's recent sustainability report, opens new tab showed a 16% decline in the company's shipments with single-use plastic, to 74,137 metric tons last year. That's significant, especially as many companies adjust to new priorities from U.S. President Donald Trump. But activists also were puzzled. Amazon has resisted shareholder resolutions asking for reports on the topic, so why would it bring down the metric so much? Pat Lindner, Amazon's VP of mechatronics* and sustainable packaging, says the main answer is simple: customers find paper easier to recycle. "That's what's been driving use of plastics to use of paper-based packaging, because while plastic can be technically recycled, it's often an inconvenience" requiring a trip to a drop-off facility, Lindner told me in a recent interview. Other advantages of paper include that it protects items better and can be easier to open, he said. "The number-one thing we have to deliver for customers is an item that's undamaged," he said. Amazon has also reduced use of plastic air pillows, opens new tab as protective padding inside cardboard boxes. Monitoring social media feedback helps Amazon understand customer preferences, he said, analyzed with the help of artificial intelligence. Lindner declined to discuss cost figures with me but acknowledged paper typically is heavier than plastic, which would add to shipping costs. It has invested in "right-sizing" the boxes it ships, reducing weight and transit expenses. He also mentioned Amazon's "Ships in Product Packaging" program where it does not add material around vendors' own custom packaging, and new machines that do a better job wrapping products with paper, opens new tab. I ran this all past Matthew Littlejohn, senior vice president of ocean conservation nonprofit Oceana. Littlejohn said he was pleased by Amazon's explanation although the company did not say it was motivated to save the planet. "For us the good news is they're reducing plastic, and they're doing it because they think their business requires them to do so. That's fantastic news because it means they'll continue with it, as it's good news for their business," Littlejohn said. PAPER RECYCLING > PLASTIC RECYCLING Amazon's recycling strategy matters amid global efforts to cut plastic waste. U.N-backed talks in Geneva aim to produce a global treaty to cut plastic pollution, but opposition from the Trump administration and leaders of other nations has dimmed hopes for a diplomatic solution. The American Forest & Paper Association says the 2023 U.S. recycling rate, opens new tab for paper was around 67%, and around 74% for cardboard. In contrast, only 5% of U.S. waste plastic, opens new tab was recycled in 2019, according to one widely cited report. Less than 2%, opens new tab of "film and flexible" plastic like that used by Amazon is recycled, according to trade group the Recycling Partnership. Littlejohn cited a report last year by allied environmental groups that found little of the plastic packaging that customers dropped off made it to recycling centers, opens new tab. Amazon says plastic still has a role such as for shipping food, and that it is working on improving plastic recycling, opens new tab. But at least for now, Lindner said plastic has enough disadvantages that it makes sense to shift to paper where possible to create packages that ship undamaged, are easy to open, and easy to recycle. "When you get those things right, it's a win for all of us," he said. (* yes, the "mechatronics, opens new tab" term in Lindner's title is a real word, I looked it up.)
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amazon's Latest Move to Reduce Waste Could Change Online Shopping
Amazon is taking a big step to reduce packaging waste amid rising criticism of its environmental practices. The e-commerce giant announced plans to install hundreds of automated box-making machines across European fulfillment centers by 2025, aiming to minimize excess packaging and cut carbon emissions. According to Amazon, these custom box-making machines use sensors to measure product dimensions and create made-to-fit boxes. Instead of relying on plastic padding, the machines pack items in recyclable paper, saving an average of 26 grams of packaging per shipment. The cool down reported that Pat Lindner, Amazon's vice president of mechatronics and sustainable packaging, called the move 'a significant step forward in reducing the environmental impact of deliveries for our European customers.' The initiative comes at a critical time. While Amazon has claimed it avoided 3 million metric tons of packaging since 2015 and co-founded The Climate Pledge in 2019 with a goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, environmental concerns persist. Recent reports highlighted Amazon's plans to invest $87 billion in data centers by 2030—projects that could generate an estimated 2.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions. In 2023, Business Insider revealed the environmental costs of Amazon's sprawling data center operations. Critics argue that the company's efforts to boost sustainability are undermined by its growing carbon footprint. Earlier this year, a class-action lawsuit accused Amazon of greenwashing, claiming that its paper products contribute to deforestation despite being labeled eco-friendly. Amazon's European packaging initiative is part of a broader push to balance customer demand with sustainability. The company plans to have 100,000 electric delivery vans on the road by the end of the decade and has ramped up its zero-emission transportation efforts. Whether these efforts are enough to offset the environmental impact of its vast logistics and data operations remains to be seen. But for now, Amazon's investment in automated packaging technology marks a clear shift toward a more sustainable model at least on Latest Move to Reduce Waste Could Change Online Shopping first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 1, 2025
