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Amazon and Mondi Develop Lighter Shipping Envelope
Shipping giant Amazon and packaging manufacturer Mondi have launched a paper envelope thepadding of which is also made entirely of paper.
Amazon has developed lighter shipping envelopes in cooperation with packaging manufacturer Mondi.Recyclability Was the Premise
“Our challenge was: how can we develop lightweight, flexible, and fully recyclable paper packaging that also offers the same level of protection as conventional bubble envelopes? After all, we haven’t been using these throughout Europe for years – along with all other single-use plastic bags and envelopes,” says Thais Blumer, European Head of Sustainable Packaging at Amazon. “Developing a 100 percent recyclable paper envelope with low weight and maximum protection was no easy task. But thanks to the collaboration with Mondi’s packaging experts, we have found a solution that is convincing in three ways: firstly, we have created envelopes that are easy to pack. Secondly, customers can simply recycle them in their household waste. And thirdly, these envelopes allow undamaged delivery,” continues Blumer.
The specially developed lightweight paper for the outer packaging in combination with the corrugated inner lining makes the new envelope so strong: despite being only a few millimeters thick, it is resistant and robust.
Packaging is easier and faster. This is thanks to the grooves in the inner lining, which allow the packaging to be folded around its contents. The envelope is also non-slip: the inner lining prevents the products from moving back and forth during transportation and should, therefore, arrive safely at the end customer.
“We spent several months testing our designs. We looked at different padding options, such as honeycomb and embossed bubble wrap. In the end, corrugated cardboard padding was the best solution: a flat sheet of paper attached to a sheet of corrugated cardboard,” explains Pedro Cuesta, Packaging Engineer at Mondi.
Different Sizes for Amazon Envelopes
The new envelopes are already in use in the DACH region. “We introduced the new paper padded envelopes into our logistics network this year and will gradually increase their use,” an Amazon spokesperson told FACHPACK360°.
The new paper padded envelopes are available in three sizes. They are particularly suitable for everyday items ranging from skincare and food supplements to household and office items and toys. In principle, any product, whether fragile or bulky, from small electronic devices to books and fashion accessories, could be wrapped in them, explained Nedim Nisic, Mondi Group E-Commerce Director, at the market launch.
More than 50 percent of European Amazon shipments are now delivered in reduced, recyclable shipping packaging, for example in paper bags or cardboard envelopes, or without any additional packaging as part of the “Shipped without additional Amazon packaging” program. Since 2019, 700 million shipments have arrived at customers without packaging. Since 2015, Amazon has reduced the weight of packaging per shipment by 43 percent. This corresponds to more than 3 million tons of packaging material avoided.
Less packaging material also means more space for more parcels in Amazon delivery vans. This leads to fewer journeys “and brings us closer to our goal of being CO2-neutral in all our operations by 2040,” explains Amazon.
By Anna Ntemiris, editor
