The survey showed that customers want to retain outer packaging for products such as condoms and bikini wax strips. This also applies to homplex items such as laptops, which are excluded from Amazon's packaging reduction programme.

„Just like us, our customers are very interested in reducing packaging material. We have been working on this for many years. However, we are not satisfied with simply saving packaging material. We want to do away with packaging altogether. One solution is to work directly with manufacturers to produce packaging that we can ship safely and without additional paper bags, envelopes or boxes. We have already achieved a great deal in increasing the volume of orders that we send to customers in Germany without shipping packaging - by more than 50 per cent since 2021. We are working to further increase this result.“

Justine Mahler, Director of Packaging Innovation at Amazon

„Of course, we know that some customers prefer additional packaging for their purchases. For example, a gift for a family member in the same household. We don't want to spoil the surprise here. That's why we offer gift options in many cases. So the Customers specify that the item should arrive in a cardboard box or paper mailing bag, although it could normally be sent without additional packaging,“ Mahler continues.

Customers who wish to conceal their order can use the drop-down menu - available for many items that are certified for shipping without additional packaging - and click on „With Amazon shipping packaging, the contents remain invisible“.

One in three respondents (38 per cent) stated that Retailers and manufacturers should prioritise the reduction of their packaging waste. Almost as many of them (36 per cent) say that the possibility of recycling is particularly important to them. In Germany, Amazon has replaced disposable plastic delivery bags with 100 per cent recyclable paper and cardboard packaging. One in five respondents said that the Reusability of the packaging is particularly important is.