Cardboard boxes are a really big deal in the U.S. Amazon alone shipped over 5 billion packages through Prime in 2017. But the box business now faces a new challenge from lighter and cheaper plastic packaging that has proliferated in recent years due to a transformation in the way packages are shipped. And as Amazon tries to cut down its carbon footprint, the containerboard industry is bracing for the fallout.
15:57
Sat, Jul 13 2019
9:30 AM EDT
Avoiding Packaging Where Possible
Sometimes the best solution is to use what already exists. That’s the idea behind our Ships In Product Packaging (SIPP) program, where eligible items are delivered in the original manufacturer’s packaging without additional Amazon packaging. This allows us to avoid unnecessary packaging altogether and reduce the weight of deliveries.
We believe many products can be shipped without added packaging and are expanding our SIPP program by identifying, evaluating, and certifying items already packaged in materials suitable for shipping. We also encourage selling partners and vendors to re-engineer packaging to meet SIPP standards.
Case Study: Samsung TV
Compared to standard packaging, SIPP packaging for a Samsung 49" Series 5 TV eliminates nine packaging components, reducing package volume by 69% and the amount of air shipped by 87%.