The U.S. goes through enough cardboard boxes in a year to pave a mile-wide road from Charlotte to Los Angeles three times over. Amazon is hoping to fix that.
Amazon is looking to change that in a new attempt to reduce its waste.
The idea is to try and ship products in their original packaging. It’s a major process to make it happen, though. According to Amazon, 11% of orders worldwide were sent in the original manufacturer packaging, including shipments from brands like Clorox, McDonald’s and Starbucks.
Amazon is working with vendors to make sure packages don’t get damaged during delivery. They have to survive drops off conveyor belts, vibrations and shaking during transit. Products are tested five times and each time something breaks, it helps Amazon learn what went wrong and how it can be fixed. The company also uses customer feedback, including damage complaints, to improve its service.