Amazon Introduces Smart Packaging Machines to Cut Waste and Speed Up Deliveries

Amazon Automates it Packaging Process with Advanced Machinery

Date: 26th May 2025

Amazon’s fulfillment center at Peddimore, on the outskirts of Sutton Coldfield site is ready to receive new technology. It consists of 18 UK hubs, now ready to equip an automated packaging machine. The computerized packaging machine will produce paper bags and custom-made cardboard boxes, replacing ill-fitting boxes and unnecessary oversized packets. This will reduce the packaging process. The company might expand the quantity of these machines to around 19 in the UK. This will strengthen customer engagement by enabling the availability of more made-to-fit packaging for customers.

What new technologies are being added?

Amazon is planning to install hundreds of automated packaging machines in Europe, ensuring 70 to be installed this year. The UK sites, such as Durham, Tilbury, and Sutton, and more in 2027, will receive this machine. The new machine will minimize delivery emissions by reducing material use. It will further discard waste and make more space in vehicles, supporting the transport and logistics sector. This will cover several deliveries with limited transport. The labelling system enables labels up to 75% smaller than standard sizes. This reduces materials use and gives compact packaging results. The labels are functional, which provides direct attachment on paper bags and onto the product. The products are separated to ship in the original packaging, if labelled on the product.

Usage

With the help of ‘automation and precise-sizing technology’, the custom-made cardboard boxes are processed in real-time. By placing an item into the machine, the calculative packaging gets activated. The machine contains sensors that measure dimensions to produce boxes automatically, ensuring impromptu fitting. This diminishes the use of packaging material. The automated machines print shipping labels automatically, providing the fastest delivery. The fragile and heavier items also get packed with protection for the product. Amazon’s packaging engineers imagined the machine’s original purpose was to produce plastic bags and fit it to cut made-to-fit paper bags. The sensors measure dimensions, and the new device suggests the correct size. The technology uses weather-resistant paper, heat-sealing, and durability. The machine has been tested in fulfilment centres in the UK and Germany. After the testing, the new technology will be introduced across countries like Spain, France, and Italy.

Impact

Amazon half of the deliveries within Europe have been dispatched most of the boxes and customers are receiving the recyclable packaging. Since 2015, Amazon has made efforts to reduce the average per-shipment packaging weight by around 43%. This has resulted in avoiding three million metric tons of packaging waste.