I don’t work for Amazon, so I don’t have a career or job to protect. I don’t even do any business with them as a supplier. My perspective focus is primarily that of a customer.
I remain a grateful customer; however, I am burdened by nearly fifty years of experience in the packaging industry, the most recent twenty years almost totally focused on sustainability within the packaging industry. That experience prevents me from running to my front door and gleefully ripping open my Amazon shipping container to get to the item I ordered. No, I am usually far more curious about the packaging Amazon used to ship my order, always looking for any changes they may have implemented. After all, they are the big “direct to consumer” dog, and many companies still follow them in many different ways.
Over 6 billion Packages per Year.
That is how many packages Amazon ships every single year, just in the US. You can double that number for the global total, so their impact in regard to packaging and sustainability is tremendous.
To their credit, I have watched them go from one packaging method and product to another, without hesitation. Here are a few of the concepts they have tried:
- Made to size boxes – an interesting idea but not without limitations. The incredible variety of product dimensions makes this a limited option but a closer look at the design indicates layers of redundant corrugated board.
- SIOC, “ships in own container”, has proven to be a great solution when possible to avoid shipping a box within another box.
- Paper envelopes with bubble lining – effective protection but not recyclable in any way.
- Paper envelopes with foam lining – can be recycled but offer very limited product protection.
- Extendible paper packaging has a certain amount of “stretch” making it a good substrate for more applications. If it doesn’t puncture easily, that is helpful inside out as well as outside in damage. As a packaging veteran, I have to be a bit skeptical because this new paper does not really offer any crush protection.
- Plastic envelopes with no padding at all. Not recyclable because of poly composition. Unfortunately, this land-filled destined product offers more issues than benefits.
Applaud the effort!
I trust this post will not read as a critique of Amazon. Rather it is a compliment because they have been willing to try nearly anything to create packaging that is recyclable and earth friendly. Of course, they know as we do that sustainability saves money and pleases customers. So, there is a sizable, selfish benefit to finding the perfect sustainable and effective packaging solution. That is an incredible challenge, considering the variety of products they can have at your door step tomorrow morning.
The Amazon Packaging Approach
We believe most of our customers want the same things Amazon wants – effective and sustainable packaging, at the lowest possible cost. For the people we work with, you can add one more important factor and that is appearance. I doubt Amazon cares much about appearance, colors, fonts, graphics, etc. but most of our customers are very concerned with that initial impression when a customer receives their package. Yes, the “unboxing experience” is still a very real thing.
A company like ours can help you in many ways. Keep in mind, we were overcoming packaging problems when Amazon was a startup, totally focused on selling books. We have not enjoyed the same level of success, but we have been around a while and learned a thing or two along the way.
Please allow us to put our extensive experience to work for you. Contact us via this link or call us at 630-551-1700. We are eager to learn more about you and your product and help you exceed your packaging goals at minimal cost.
Related posts:
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/the-importance-of-packaging-in-your-new-e-commerce-start-up/
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/are-you-searching-for-a-new-packaging-supplier/
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/the-3-misconceptions-about-corrugated-boxes-that-will-hurt-you/
https://www.salazarpackaging.com/4-pillars-of-our-custom-packaging-success/