Sustainability experts argue that Amazon should bear more responsibility for the environmental impact of its two million daily parcel deliveries.
The e-commerce giant relies heavily on cardboard boxes. These are recyclable, but they still come at a huge environmental cost. Currently, the disposal and recycling of these enormous amounts of cardboard fall largely on consumers, who don’t always recycle them.
“Just over 70% of cardboard is recycled in the UK, which means nearly a third ends up in landfill or being incinerated when it could be recycled. That’s bound to include plenty of Amazon delivery boxes, as cardboard is the most common packaging waste material. This need to stop and Amazon needs to take some responsibility,” says Graham Matthews, sustainability expert, BusinessWaste.co.uk.
Cardboard recycling experts at BusinessWaste.co.uk suggest that Amazon should take back used packaging for proper recycling. They should look to alleviate the burden on customers and local waste management systems while ensuring that materials are reused efficiently.
Another key problem is the excessive use of cardboard for small parcels. It’s not uncommon for small items to arrive in disproportionately large boxes, leading to unnecessary waste. This practice increases Amazon’s environmental impact, but it also frustrates customers who recognise the inefficiency.
