Amazon Leverages Automation and Machine Learning to Reduce Waste

Image Credit: Amazon

Amazon is introducing automated packing technology to its European fulfilment network in a bold step toward sustainable packaging. This move marks the company’s most significant European investment in sustainable packaging, with a game-changing shift to custom-made boxes and paper bags designed specifically for each order.

By 2027, Amazon plans to install hundreds of these advanced machines across its fulfilment centres, with more than 70 already slated for installation this year in key European countries such as Germany, the UK, France, Italy, and Spain. The aim? To streamline packaging and reduce waste, all while ensuring more customers receive their orders in eco-friendly, made-to-fit packaging.

“In order to reduce waste, we need to reduce packaging. We use machine learning and automation to create packaging that’s made to fit, reducing excess materials while making sure the product remains protected. We’re now installing automated packaging machines in our facilities across Europe to better serve our customers and the planet,” said Pat Lindner, VP Mechatronics and Sustainable Packaging at Amazon.

“This investment is a significant step forward in reducing the environmental impact of deliveries for our European customers.”

The custom-box technology, which will be deployed across Amazon’s fulfilment centres for the first time in Europe, uses automation and precise sizing to create boxes that fit perfectly in real time. Here's how it works: When an item is placed in the machine, sensors measure its dimensions, and the machine instantly manufactures a box that fits the product like a glove. This eliminates excess packaging material and slashes waste, making it an essential part of Amazon’s sustainability push.

This technology minimises material use and maximises vehicle capacity. By reducing the number of oversized packages, Amazon can fit more products into each delivery, which means fewer vehicles on the road, reducing carbon emissions.

But that’s not all. Amazon has also reimagined the packaging concept for more delicate and lightweight items. Enter the made-to-fit paper bag: A machine that creates precisely sized, weather-resistant paper bags for orders. The device customises each bag using durable paper and heat-sealing technology to protect the item without padding.

This innovative solution is being rolled out across Germany, the UK, France, Italy, and Spain, helping Amazon save an average of 26 grams of packaging per shipment. The lightweight paper bags are up to 90% lighter than similarly sized cardboard boxes, significantly reducing material use.

Amazon is also adopting a revolutionary labelling system to minimise waste further. The Universal Robotic Labeller is an advanced auto-labelling machine capable of applying smaller, more efficient labels—up to 75% smaller than standard ones—on even the most irregularly shaped packages. This reduces packaging dimensions and eliminates the need for extra packaging. Labels are applied directly onto paper bags or the product, streamlining the process and reducing packaging waste.

Amazon’s commitment to reducing packaging waste is nothing new. Over half of Amazon shipments in Europe already arrive without a box, using eco-friendly alternatives like recyclable paper bags or cardboard envelopes. Since launching its Ships in Product Packaging program in 2019, Amazon has shipped more than one billion orders with no added packaging, reducing the average per-shipment packaging weight by a remarkable 43% since 2015.

All told, Amazon has avoided more than 3 million metric tons of packaging waste, equivalent to the weight of over 295 Eiffel Towers, showcasing its ongoing dedication to sustainability worldwide.