2,000 Indian adults were surveyed by OnePoll for Amazon in September 2023 about receiving deliveries without additional delivery packaging.
Imagine receiving online deliveries without the trouble of opening an extensive layer of delivery packaging. Sounds good? That's what seven out of 10 (69 per cent) of Indian adults feel. They would be happy for items they order online to arrive without added delivery packaging, according to a study commissioned by Amazon.
The findings are released as more and more essential items, such as toilet rolls and pallets of beverage drinks, are being delivered to Indian shoppers without additional product packaging from Amazon. In India, Amazon avoids adding its own packaging by protecting eligible items with a reusable crate or tote bag, as per the company.
More than half (55 per cent) of Indian shoppers surveyed said the reason they would be happy to receive online purchases without added-delivery packaging is to reduce the consumption of packaging materials.
No added packaging can mean shipments are lighter, which leads to reduced delivery emissions per package and means customers don’t need to recycle an additional Amazon cardboard box or paper bag. Globally, since 2015, Amazon has reduced the weight of outbound packaging per shipment by 41 per cent on average and eliminated over 2 million tons of packaging material, according to a company statement.
Among the items people are happiest to receive in the manufacturer’s original packaging—with just an address label added—are clothing apparel (34 per cent), detergent (30 per cent) and stationery (30 per cent).
The research found that the items customers would be least happy to receive without additional packaging include contraceptive devices, haemorrhoid cream, and bikini wax strips, which are product categories that Amazon ships discreetly, as well as some high-value items such as mobile phones and laptops, which are excluded from Amazon’s reduced packaging programme. The research also found that one in ten Indian shoppers would be happy to have everything they order online come without added delivery packaging.
“Like us, our customers really care about reducing packaging, and we’ve made significant progress doing so for years,” said Abhinav Singh, Vice President, Operations, Amazon India. “One way we do this is by working with manufacturers to design packaging that’s capable of shipping safely, without additional paper bags, envelopes, or boxes from us.”
Amazon’s intelligent algorithm also uses machine learning to evaluate the manufacturer’s packaging’s durability, considering the distance those packages travel, to ensure that additional packaging is not required, according to a company statement.
Tech accessories, homeware, home improvement products, shoes, and luggage are some of the products that are often shipped with no added packaging. Items such as liquids, fragile goods, and personal care items that need additional protection during transportation continue to be shipped with added packaging.
Where packaging is necessary, Amazon uses machine learning algorithms to help make smart packaging choices for customers so that it fits well, uses as little material as possible, and protects customers’ orders, according to a company statement by Amazon.