Amazon eliminates single-use plastic in packaging in India

Published on June 30 , 2020

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LMB Staff

Amazon India has announced that it has eliminated all single-use plastic in packaging originating from its 50-plus fulfilment centres in the country.

In September 2019, the company had pledged to meet this goal in an accelerated time frame by June this year.

Amazon eliminates single-use plastic in packaging
Image via Economic Times

Our planet is being choked by plastic. Millions of tons of non-biodegradable plastic waste are silently, but at a very fast pace choking our waterways, filling our landfills, poisoning the soil and damaging our respiratory and nervous systems.

In spite of the widespread knowledge about the harmful effects of plastics, its low cost and high utility ensure that it remains ubiquitous in today’s world. The businesses continue to use it, as it increases their profit margins and consumers continue to accept it as it keeps the cost low.

The first milestone towards this goal was achieved in December 2019 when the company replaced plastic packaging material, such as bubble wraps and air pillows, with paper cushion' in its packaging.

The company then introduced 100% plastic-free and biodegradable paper tape earlier this year, which is used to seal and secure customer shipments.

Additionally, the company has replaced thin cling films for customer deliveries among other material with packaging options that are not single-use plastic in nature.

Aditya Dubey, a student environmentalist who had last year, approached the National Green Tribunal through a petition seeking a direction to Amazon and Flipkart to stop the excessive use of single-use plastic for wrapping and packing the items sold by them.

He said, "Decision of Amazon to stop using single-use plastic packaging is the first step in a long war against single-use plastics. But, it sends a strong and loud message to all business enterprises that the people are no longer willing to allow these multi-billion corporations to poison our planet for profits. We hope and request that all plastic waste-producing businesses should now follow this path and stop using single-use plastics. However, if they fail to do so then the people will take all legally valid measures to compel them to do so."

4 Categories

Forest & Biodiversity
Plastic & Waste
Plastic Pollution
Waste & Recycling

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