November 27, 2024 14:41

Italy’s minister of environment and energy security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, recently visited Amazon’s Operations Innovation Lab in Vercelli, northern Italy, where the company is optimizing packaging solutions for e-commerce to enhance environmental sustainability and economic efficiency.

Research initiatives range from automated packaging equipment to bio-based shopping bags developed in collaboration with Novamont, the producer of Mater-Bi-branded bioplastics. The first experimental applications of these bio-shopper bags are being tested with Amazon Fresh grocery orders in Valencia, Spain.
“Collaborating with a global player like Amazon, which reaches millions of people worldwide, is an extraordinary opportunity to showcase Mater-Bi packaging solutions,” said Catia Bastioli, CEO of Novamont, a Versalis company within the ENI group. “Mater-Bi is a family of bio-based materials derived entirely or partially from biomass, biodegradable, and compostable, developed through Novamont’s biorefineries for bioproducts. This partnership offers a unique chance to test the effectiveness of these materials and explore their numerous recycling options, all within a framework of resource regeneration and certified environmental performance.”

The Vercelli lab is also exploring advanced robotics and AI technologies. Projects include a robot that automates label application for packages shipped without additional delivery packaging and a machine that scans items, calculates the exact amount of paper needed, and autonomously creates custom-fit paper bags. Once refined, these technologies are field-tested at Amazon distribution centers.

Amazon is prioritizing packaging-free solutions through its “Ships in Own Container” program (SIOC), certifying products for direct shipment in the manufacturer’s packaging. In 2023, nearly 4 million products globally were shipped without additional boxes or bags.

When extra packaging is necessary, Amazon uses paper whenever possible. Across its European network, single-use plastic bags and air cushions were replaced with paper two years ago.

A new padded envelope made entirely of paper, introduced this year, offers flexibility, shock absorption, and a lighter alternative to cardboard boxes, saving an average of 44 grams of packaging per shipment.

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