John,

Did you know?

The global economy has consumed the same amount of resources in the last 6 years as it did in the entire 20th century.1

We're wasting way too much -- but a more sustainable future is possible, and the allies who can help get us there might surprise you.

Big companies like Amazon can play a key role in confronting the plastic pollution problem.

Amazon makes millions of deliveries each day.2 By one estimate, Amazon's shipments generated enough plastic waste in just one year to encircle the Earth in plastic air pillows 800 times.3

The sad truth is that almost all the plastic we create and use ends up as trash or pollution. Less than 10% of America's plastic is recycled.4

And some types of Amazon's packaging are no exception. PIRG volunteers took action to uncover where Amazon's plastic packaging goes after being dropped off for recycling, and discovered that even packages labeled "recyclable" were ending up at garbage facilities.5

Together, we're winning important change. We helped convince Amazon to phase out plastic air pillows from its North American shipments.

Tens of thousands of PIRG supporters joined together to urge Amazon to cut back on its use of wasteful packaging -- and we won.

Amazon's latest commitment will prevent 15 billion plastic air pillows from being used each year.6 That means billions of pieces of plastic that won't go on to clog our landfills, pollute our environment, or threaten our health for centuries to come.

What's next? Amazon has a shareholder meeting coming up on May 21, and we need to convince the company to take the next step.

In 2022, a shareholder proposal aimed at getting Amazon to reduce its plastic footprint earned nearly 50% of the vote.7 In the years since then, PIRG and our partners across the country have been building even more momentum for plastic waste reduction.

With your support, this could be the year that Amazon commits to even more concrete action to move beyond plastic. Amazon still needs to set a deadline for when it will eliminate plastic-padded shipping bags, and make a commitment to eliminate the remaining single-use plastic used in its shipments.

Together, we'll keep working toward a future beyond plastic.

Thank you,

Faye Park
President

P.S. Want to do even more to help urge Amazon to cut plastic waste? Our research and advocacy work are fueled by supporters like you. Donate today to help keep this campaign going strong.

1. "2023 Sustainability Report," Amazon, last accessed March 28, 2025.
2. "Amazon Logistics Statistics," Capital One Shopping Research, October 8, 2024.
3. Jenn Engstrom and Celeste Meiffren-Swango, "Truth in recycling," Environment America Research & Policy Center, March 19, 2024.
4. Erin McCormick et al., "Where does your plastic go? Global investigation reveals America's dirty secret," The Guardian, June 17, 2019.
5. Jenn Engstrom and Celeste Meiffren-Swango, "Truth in recycling," Environment America Research & Policy Center, March 19, 2024.
6. "Amazon announces its largest reduction in plastic packaging in North America to date," Amazon, June 20, 2024.
7. Jan Arreza, "Amazon shareholders approve plastic packaging cuts," Packaging News, June 2, 2022.

Your donation will power our dedicated staff of organizers, policy experts and attorneys who drive all of our campaigns in the public interest, from banning toxic pesticides and moving us beyond plastic, to saving our antibiotics and being your consumer watchdog, to protecting our environment and our democracy. None of our work would be possible without the support of people just like you.


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