Amazon Supplier Debuts New Eco-Friendly Packaging
Georgia-Pacific now offers a recycled packaging solution for apparel sellers interested in eco-friendly shipping materials.
Plastic mailers generated over 29 billion pounds of waste—roughly 28 percent of total U.S. waste annually—in 2018, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Amazon alone was responsible for over 700 million pounds of plastic packaging waste in 2021, per data environmental nonprofit Oceana.
More from Sourcing Journal
Georgia-Pacific, an Atlanta-based integrated packaging supplier, extended its EarthKraft line of curbside recyclable mailers to now include an unpadded envelope for e-commerce shipments. Available in two sizes—12 in. by 15 in., and 14 in. by 18 in.—the mailer is geared toward soft goods, such as apparel, that don’t need to be swathed in padded packaging during transport.
“An ever-growing percentage of consumers expect their online purchases to arrive in sustainable, easy-to-recycle packaging,” said Adam Ganz, vice president of commercial development at Georgia-Pacific, who leads the mailer business. “The plastic mailers that have been the standard shipping option for apparel aren’t meeting the majority of consumer expectations, and brands are missing an opportunity to build loyal, repeat customers. GP’s EarthKraft unpadded mailers give apparel brands and other e-commerce companies a cost-effective option to meet those expectations.”
Gan is referring to a 2020 McKinsey & Company survey, which found that 43 percent of consumers cite eco impact as an “extremely or very important” consideration when thinking about the packaging involved in a purchasing decision.
Georgia-Pacific said it’s sold more than one billion padded mailers to e-commerce businesses looking to swap plastic for paper since introducing the recyclable mailers in 2020. The Koch Industries subsidiary expects similar results for its newest mailer as well; Amazon has been a “key” Georgia-Pacific EarthKraft customer and has been using the unpadded mailers since mid-July. While Georgia-Pacific won’t comment on specific sales numbers, Amazon reduced its global plastic consumption by more than 37,000 metric tons since 2020 because of its use of recyclable packaging.
Meant to replace non-recyclable dual material packaging with a version compatible with curbside recycling, the EarthKraft unpadded mailers are produced at Georgia-Pacific’s facilities in Jonestown, Pennsylvania; McDonough, Georgia; and Phoenix, Arizona. Consumers can toss the mailers into their recycling bin or anywhere that collects paper or corrugated materials.
“The growth of e-commerce has generated significant demand for sustainable packaging options, as both consumers and e-tailers look to increase the recyclability of their packaging,” Lauren Campen of Georgia-Pacific said to Sourcing Journal. “Our line of paper mailers is a sustainable, recyclable alternative to comingled material mailers or poly bubble mailers.”
