One shopper recently shared an experience that raises questions about Amazon's packaging policies.

What happened?

On Reddit, a shopper posted photos of their counter covered in Amazon Fresh paper bags, with a curious cat looking on. Each bag reportedly contained just one can of cat food. The customer wrote, "It seems like the number of bags increases with every delivery … Why so many bags??"

Many commenters chimed in with some insight into this excess packaging issue. One wrote: "The system probably thinks … the item is a CASE SIZE. … Some times a FULL CASE of an item SKU's and single Item SKU's get registered in the system wrong." Another commenter agreed: "Sometimes this happens when items are considered 'false bigs' … so if you ordered 10 cans of food that the system [thinks] is a big youre going to get 10 bags. [It's] a very flawed system."

OP responded: "Wow. Ok. It's really bad. … I wish the system would take wastefulness into account when things are packaged."

Why is excessive packaging concerning?

Beyond the annoyance of disposing of mountains of bags, the bigger issue is waste. Excessive packaging is often not cost-effective for companies. Those costs also get passed down to consumers. Shoppers may feel that their orders contribute to excessive waste.

Environmentally, the impact is just as troubling. Disposable packaging — whether made of paper, plastic, or mixed materials — consumes energy and raw resources to produce, only to be tossed after one use. According to the EPA, containers and packaging made up over 82 million tons of waste in 2018, about 28% of total U.S. municipal solid waste. This waste contributes to overflowing landfills and planet-heating pollution when it decomposes or is incinerated.

Is Amazon doing anything about this?

Amazon has made several commitments to curb packaging waste. The company says it has eliminated hundreds of thousands of tons of packaging materials through its Frustration-Free Packaging program, which promotes reusable boxes and minimal wrapping. It has also rolled out innovative packaging solutions like bio-based delivery bags, more efficient packaging machines, and reusable options. And while the bags in the post are made from recycled materials, there's still just too much of it used.

Shipping one can of cat food in its own oversized bag suggests there are inefficiencies or poorly optimized systems that could be improved to address the issue. Better training could also help Amazon Fresh's "pickers" know when to consolidate packaging when the instructions seem to be a categorical error.

What's being done about packaging waste more broadly?

Some grocers are working to reduce single-use waste. Retailers like Trader Joe's and Kroger have piloted programs that swap out wasteful packaging for compostable or reusable options. Across the U.S., legislation is also catching up. States including California, New York, and New Jersey have rolled out bans or restrictions on single-use plastics, pushing companies to innovate packaging systems.

For individuals, small steps add up. Shoppers can choose plastic-free options for everyday products and reuse grocery bags for storage or donation before recycling them. Customer feedback to Amazon and other retailers, as well as supporting brands with plastic-free packaging, also helps pressure companies to rethink wasteful policies.

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