Amazon’s new Prime packaging is “not widely recyclable”
Amazon has introduced a new style of packaging to its delivery services and – unlike many of its cardboard products that have gone before – the plastic packaging is not widely recyclable.
Amazon’s Prime-branded “bubble-lined plastic bag” is coming under fire. On Amazon’s Second Chance website – a site dedicated to reuse – the bag is described as being “not widely recycled across the UK.”
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The site also invites you to check with your local authority or to visit RecycleNow to find out if the plastic film in the bag is recycled in your area.
Speaking to The Guardian, the head of policy at Friends of the Earth, Mike Childs, said: “Despite the huge public outcry, it’s astonishing how many companies are still using single-trip, unrecyclable plastic for deliveries.
“If we want to stem the tide of plastic pollution blighting our environment, giant firms like Amazon have to find ways of making deliveries in returnable and reusable packaging.”
Amazon was one of 181 companies that signed up to a new definition of corporate purpose in the US on Monday.
The new definition shifts focus from profit to the interests of wider stakeholders such as customers, employees and the community. Jeff Bezos personally signed the definition.
In a statement sent to Trusted Reviews, Amazon said: “We value our customers’ feedback about our packaging, both the positive comments and the negative, as in this instance. We can also reassure customers that our packaging team reviews all feedback.
“At Amazon, our mission is to deliver the very best customer experience. We work with manufacturers worldwide to continuously improve packaging design and introduce new, sustainable packaging that delights customers, eliminates waste, and ensures products arrive intact and undamaged for our customers.”
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Amazon hasn’t had the best of weeks. This news follows on from reports of Twitter accounts posting strange updates that paint Amazon in a very very positive light.