Amazon has introduced a shock-proof, lightweight paper envelope in the UK, designed for at-home recycling. In collaboration with packaging expert Mondi, Amazon scientists and engineers developed a new paper-padded envelope featuring a shock-absorbent, paper-based lining. This innovative envelope aims to minimise unnecessary packaging while ensuring safe delivery and marks a shift away from the plastic-lined bubble wrap envelopes previously used.
The new paper envelopes, now reaching UK customers, contain no plastic and are fully recyclable. They address growing customer demand for right-sized, eco-friendly packaging that reduces waste while ensuring the safe arrival of products. In instances where reducing packaging isn’t feasible, Amazon optimises packaging materials and weights to promote circularity and lower carbon emissions, without compromising on safety.
The envelope’s lightweight design provides significant advantages over traditional cardboard boxes, saving approximately 44 grams of packaging per shipment. Its flexibility allows it to be packed efficiently without wasted space or additional padding materials, such as recyclable paper dunnage.
“Amazon stopped using traditional bubble-wrap padded envelopes in Europe several years ago, which presented a challenge to develop light, flexible and fully recyclable paper packaging that provides the same protection. Achieving both low weight and maximum protection with a 100% recyclable paper envelope was not an easy task, but these envelopes are easy to pack, simple for customers to recycle at home, and enable damage-free deliveries,” said Thais Blumer, European Head of Sustainable Packaging for Amazon.
The envelope’s strength comes from its specially engineered outer paper and a corrugated inner lining, which, despite being just millimeters thick, provides resilience and protection. The multiple ridges in the lining allow the envelope to fold securely around products, preventing them from shifting during transit.
Mondi’s packaging engineer, Pedro Cuesta, explained the testing process that led to the final design, which included experimenting with various padding options like honeycomb and embossed bubble paper. “Together with Amazon, we spent several months testing our designs, evaluating various padding options such as honeycomb and embossed bubble paper. Ultimately, open-flute padding — a flat paper sheet attached to a sheet of ridged paper — proved to be the best solution. Creating a plastic-free padded mailer for e-commerce packaging has been an exciting collaborative journey towards a more sustainable future. We are proud that Amazon customers all over Europe could soon be receiving orders in these envelopes,” Cuesta said.
The new envelopes, available in three sizes, are suitable for a wide range of everyday items, from skincare products to office supplies. More than 50% of Amazon’s European shipments now use reduced, recyclable packaging, such as paper bags and cardboard envelopes. Since 2015, Amazon has cut packaging weight per shipment by 43%, avoiding over 3 million metric tons of packaging materials.
Reducing packaging not only decreases waste but also enables Amazon to fit more packages into delivery vans, leading to fewer trips and contributing to the company’s goal of becoming net-zero carbon across its operations by 2040.
