Even though there is a push to get rid of plastic all over the world, Amazon, an online store, has been using more plastic in its packaging.
It was the U.S. Marine Conservation Group Oceana that used market data and information about the Amazon market to figure out how much plastic the company was using. Reports say that Amazon used more than 200 million pounds of plastic in their packaging, which is the same as 14,000 big African elephants.
This rise happened at the same time that Amazon was pushing for a worldwide ban on using plastics in their packaging. Companies are being forced to use less plastic because of new rules from the European Union. In Europe, Amazon has switched from using plastic packing to using cardboard and paper instead.
Oceana said it was “troubling” that the United States relies so much on plastic and uses so much of it. Most of this plastic will end up in the water or near marine life, they said. One group said that at least twenty million pounds of plastic from Amazon will end up in the ocean and other bodies of water.
An Oceana senior vice president of strategic projects said, “This kind of plastic film is bad for the oceans, and a lot of it can’t be recycled.”
“Amazon is one of the most innovative companies in the world,” he said. Plastic wrapping has been banned in Europe, and it’s clear that they can do the same in the US, even if there aren’t any rules to stop them. This problem can be solved easily. They need to get cracking on it right away. “They already know what to do.”
Assuring that Amazon would keep its promise to be plastic-free, Pat Lindner, vice president of mechatronics and sustainable packaging at Amazon, said, “Amazon is committed to reducing or eliminating packaging altogether, including the use of single-use plastic, and we’ve shown this by sharing consistent and transparent updates on our progress.”