Amazon, IIT Roorkee trial mailers made from India’s ag waste

In India, e-commerce giant Amazon has partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee in a 15-month pilot project to convert agricultural waste into biodegradable paper mailers.

The project will use crop waste like wheat straw and sugarcane residue. Amazon hopes to advance from pilot to validation by the end of next year. “At Amazon, we are building and managing India’s fastest, safest, and most reliable operations network, and we’re committed to making it more sustainable,” said Abhinav Singh, vice president of operations at Amazon India, as quoted by Packaging Insights. “As part of this effort, we’re partnering with IIT Roorkee to develop innovative packaging from crop residue. India generates nearly 500 million tons of this waste annually, and by repurposing it into packaging, we can support a more circular economy while reducing reliance on conventional materials.”