Amazon aims to eliminate its distinctive brown boxes, but has a considerable distance to cover.

• Approximately 11% of global orders were shipped in their original manufacturer packaging, including brands such as Clorox, Starbucks, and McDonald's, according to Amazon.
• The retail giant and its consumer partners aim to reduce their dependence on Amazon's signature brown box.
• Some Amazon sellers claim they will cease creating new products that cannot be shipped without extra Amazon packaging.

The amount of cardboard boxes used for shipping in the U.S. annually is enough to construct a one-mile-wide road from New York City to Los Angeles three times or a mile-high cardboard wall around the entire continental U.S.

The most significant target to decrease the amount of packaging is the Amazon shipping box or envelope. In 2022, 11% of Amazon orders worldwide were shipped in original manufacturer packaging. The company has not yet disclosed its 2023 figure for the program aimed at eliminating its signature brown box, known as the Ships in Product Packaging initiative.

To guarantee that packages won't be damaged during delivery, Amazon collaborates with vendors to test products in a lab. The products must be able to withstand drops off a conveyor belt, vibrations and shaking on the truck, and the delivery person accidentally dropping the package while walking to the door.

Kayla Fenton, Amazon senior manager of packaging innovation, stated that they pre-qualify products to ensure they will arrive safely to customers without damage. As part of the testing process, they simulate the ecommerce fulfillment process to ensure that products meet the minimum standard for safe arrival.

The tests we conduct are tailored to the specific product type and its inherent fragility, as Fenton explained. The results of these tests are then fed into machine learning models that search the Amazon catalog for additional items that can be included in the program. For instance, if a vendor sells a red t-shirt, it's likely that the blue t-shirt will perform similarly, Fenton stated.

By testing products five times and analyzing the feedback from customers, Amazon can improve its machine learning models and identify ways to prevent damage. If customers continue to complain about damage and return more items, Amazon may revert to using boxes.

Go North Group, a Fulfilled by Amazon aggregator that sells a variety of products, including home and garden goods, health, sports, and pet products, was invited to participate in Amazon's ships in packaging program. According to Johan Stellansson, Go North's supply chain director, the testing showed that 80% of the company's products can be shipped without additional packaging, including its MalsiPree portable water bottle for dogs.

Stellansson stated that the company wouldn't create a new product unless it could be shipped in the manufacturer's boxes. He added that larger items that needed a lot of padding didn't make it into the program, causing the company to reevaluate whether it should continue selling the product on Amazon.

Initially, Amazon's program was exclusive to vendors, but it has since been expanded to include sellers. While vendors are more akin to suppliers to Amazon, sellers operate with greater independence.

As Amazon's warehouse network has expanded and delivery times have decreased in certain regions, the company can now ship more items without packaging. However, not all items will be eligible for this program. Personal items, such as adult diapers or sexual wellness products, will require boxes or mailers for privacy reasons. Additionally, customers have the option to choose whether or not to ship in the manufacturer's packaging at checkout.

Amazon has been striving to reduce packaging, particularly plastic, by replacing plastic bubble mailers with paper mailers and plastic bubbles with paper. The company recently converted a fulfillment center in Cleveland, Ohio, to 100% curbside recyclable paper. The center employs a machine that scans items and creates a box or envelope that is precisely the right size, reducing the amount of air and using less packaging, which adds weight.

"By automating and utilizing machine learning, we can achieve greater control over packaging. With the help of cameras, we can accurately measure and customize packaging to any size, dimension, or product. This approach not only saves money but also reduces waste," said Pat Lindner, vice president of mechatronics and sustainable packaging at Amazon.

According to Lindner, this is beneficial for both the environment and customers as it reduces the amount of material to manage at home.

Consumer habits remain tough to change

In addition to reducing or eliminating extra packaging, another solution is reusable packaging. Although Amazon has tried reusables before, mainly through Amazon Fresh grocery deliveries, they found that not enough customers returned the insulated totes.

The task of persuading individuals to alter their typical routines by returning packaging is a challenging endeavor. Nevertheless, certain corporations are introducing eco-friendly packaging alternatives, as stated by Michael Newman, CEO of Returnity Innovations, who provides reusable containers and bags to companies such as Rent the Runway and clothing brand Vuori.

Newman stated that reusable items are most effective when individuals do not need to alter their habits. This applies when people are returning items or purchasing multiple sizes of the same product to try on at home. Reusable packaging can also be effective when goods are shipped to retail stores and employees handle the return of the boxes.

"It doesn't require behavior change from consumers," he said.

To minimize the environmental impact of reusables, customer return rates should be at least 90% to 95%, according to Newman. However, reusables are typically made of thicker plastic and may not be as durable as single-use plastic, so they need to be reused at least five to 20 times to justify their use from a carbon footprint perspective.

Boox CEO Matt Semmelhack provides reusable shipping boxes to luxury direct-to-home brands like Goop and Rhode, but the return rate is lower at 20% because the boxes need to be returned in a separate step. Despite this, Semmelhack is optimistic that with legislation, consumer habits will change. He believes there will be an inflection point when Walmart or Amazon starts doing it.