Hold onto your hats, friends (and your wallets)

[Dogtamer]

Today’s News Headline (10May`24), posted about an hour ago:

https: //sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/headlines.html?id=G3KEPLY3CEVGPXL9

How we use AI to deliver customer orders with less packaging

If you sell with FBA, the boxes or mailers that your products are sent to customers in are likely selected by artificial intelligence (AI).

We’re working hard to reduce packaging waste, but choosing the optimal packaging that both reduces waste and protects products can be challenging.

Our AI model, the Package Decision Engine, uses a combination of deep machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision to determine the most efficient packaging for each product. For example, it can predict when a more durable product like a blanket doesn’t need protective packaging, or when a potentially fragile item like a set of dinner plates might need a studier box.

The model helps to reduce the number of cardboard boxes, air pillows, tape, and mailers used to send purchases to customers, and along with other packaging innovations has helped avoid more than 2 million tons of packaging material worldwide since 2015.

Prior to the use of AI, Amazon associates used physical testing on individual products to determine how to optimize packaging, but that work was impossible to scale through human efforts alone. The Package Decision Engine has helped automate portions of this work, allowing Amazon associates to focus on addressing other sustainability challenges.

To find out more about how it works, read the full story in About Amazon

[Sundance]

Couldn’t they have figured that our based on the items node?
Pillow Category = not fragile
Glass - fragile

[papy]

Why doesn’t Amazon know that there are more subtle forms of damage than just “broken”?

Scuffed, torn, water damaged, heat damaged, scratched, stuck, package torn with ants inside (true tale from my Buyer crypt), sticky, faded, etc

[aerides]

use AI?

Oh no…

[primetime]

Is this the responsible party that decides to send a small breakable item in a huge box with 1 air pillow??

[primetime]

They could. Apparently they don’t.

Also FBA items require ‘prep’ info (fragile, glass, etc) for the inbound template, so there is that available for reference too.

[wadeorcas]

Great. Providing you have not already run over it with a forklift before you insert it into your PDE choice.

[lake]

Most of my shipments from Amazon and FBA are coming in unpadded paper mailers.

Since they are delivered by Amazon, they have less damage than when Amazon shipped in boxes with air pillows or bubble mailers.

The longest most shipments to me are on the road is 12 hours, and usually 3 or 4.

It still is unsettling, but the stuff survives.

[Uncle_Leroy]

I have learned to recycle as well.

When I get returns and whatever from Amazon, I remove the shipping label with my address on it. I then cut up the bubble mailers and stuff it in boxes when sending stuff to FBA. Saves on the air pillows and bubble wrap.

[lake]

I noted this week that Amazon shipments to our condo complex are arriving in approx. 3’x3’x3’ oil cloth boxes with a zipper closure. All of the shipments to us in each truck are together, and the driver is just dropping the package outside the door instead of bringing the packages in the lobby.

A later truck picks up the outer box.