Amazon Expands Frustration-Free Packaging Programs to Include Smaller Eligible Product Sizes

Amazon expanded its Frustration-Free Packaging (FFP) incentive program in the U.S. to include the largest-sized Sortable Amazon Standard Identification Numbers (ASINs) from 6 x 4 x 0.375 ins. The company is also offering new incentives for Non-Sortable ASINs from 18 x 14 x 8 ins. The expansion of the incentive program in Europe will follow in the upcoming months. 

“After the success of our initial incentive program in 2019, I’m thrilled to announce the Frustration Free Packaging Program’s incentive expansion, launching this year, 2021, in both North America and Europe,” says Sabrina Burkhardt, Customer Packaging Experience (CPEX) Lab Manager, Amazon during a June 15^th webinar hosted by ISTA, the International Safe Transit Association, and attended by Packaging World. “This will be a new incentive program with expansion to smaller eligible product size, a minimum of 80 cubic inches, or five pounds in weight. Larger sized products that were eligible for our earlier 2019 incentive program will continue to be eligible for this program with the objective of maintaining or reducing packaging size, or moving up in certification status, for example from SIOC to FFP.”

This incentive program is time-bounded from Oct. 1, 2021, to December 31^st, 2022, so that the earlier vendors can certify and ship their SIOC and FFP units to Amazon’s network, the greater the opportunity to further inspire packaging waste reduction. The incentives rate is based on a linear model where the incentive increases as the packaging total volume is reduced.

Since 2015, Amazon has reduced the weight of outbound packaging by 36% and eliminated more than 1 million tons of packaging material, the equivalent of 2 billion shipping boxes. Now, under the expanded program, between October 1, 2021 and December 31, 2022, newly certified Frustration-Free Packaging (FFP) that maintain or reduce volume will be eligible for incentives ranging from $0.08 - $6.49 per unit. Amazon determines the incentive amount by whether the package meets FFP requirements, and overall volume reduction from the existing package size.

Read more on a case study, highlighted in the June 15th ISTA-hosted Amazon webinar, in which stemware brand Lenox takes the Frustration-Free Packaging route to improved performance and limited packaging volume.