AMAZON has announced it will deploy 18 advanced automated packing machines across the UK this year to improve packaging for its customers and reduce waste.
The move comes as part of its largest European investment in sustainable packaging, with it increasing the number of automated packing machines in the UK to a total of 19 – which Amazon said will allow more customers to receive items in made-to-fit packaging.
The investment will see hundreds of automated packaging machines installed across a number of Amazon European fulfilment centres, in a move that it said will reduce packaging volumes for millions of customer deliveries.
More than 70 of these machines will be installed in Europe this year, 18 of which will be in fulfilment centres in the UK – including Durham, Sutton Coldfield, and Tilbury – with more to follow in 2027.
Made-to-fit packaging can reduce delivery emissions by minimising material use, eliminating waste, and maximising vehicle space — enabling more deliveries with fewer vehicles, Amazon explained.
Amazon’s made-to-measure technology will also allow for:
- Custom-made cardboard boxes created in real time: Using automation and precise-sizing technology, Amazon will bring custom box-making technology to Europe for the first time. Employees place an item into the machine, which uses sensors to measure its dimensions and automatically produce a box that is made to fit, reducing excess packaging material. The machine applies shipping labels directly, making each package ready for immediate dispatch to customers. It will be used to pack heavier, or more fragile items that need more protection than a padded envelope provides.
- On-demand, made-to-fit paper bags: Amazon’s packaging engineers reimagined a machine originally used to create plastic bags, and retrofitted it to cut made-to-fit paper bags. Sensors measure an order’s dimensions, and then the new device creates a correctly sized, protective bag using a durable, weather-resistant paper and heat-sealing technology. After being tested in fulfilment centres in Germany and the UK, this new technology will now be rolled out across both countries, as well as France, Italy and Spain. By packing items in recyclable, light paper packaging, without the need for padding, the machines help to avoid more than 26 grams of packaging per shipment, on average. Lightweight paper bags used by Amazon are said to be up to 90% lighter than similar-sized cardboard boxes.
- Labelling technology: The Universal Robotic Labeller is a high-speed auto-labelling machine that can place smaller labels onto packages, including irregularly shaped items. It can use labels up to 75% smaller than standard labels, helping to reduce packaging dimensions and using less material overall. The labels can also be placed onto paper bags, or directly onto items that ship in their own product packaging. This eliminates the need for additional Amazon packaging altogether and contributes to reduced waste for the customer.
Pat Lindner, VP mechatronics and sustainable packaging at Amazon, said, “In order to reduce waste, we need to reduce packaging. We use machine learning and automation to create packaging that’s made to fit, reducing excess materials while making sure the product remains protected. We’re now installing automated packaging machines in our facilities across the UK and Europe to better serve our customers and the planet.
“This investment is a significant step forward in reducing the environmental impact of deliveries for our European customers.”
