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Amazon Climate Pledge Fund (the corporate venture capital fund of Amazon's climate pledge company) announced it is investing in CMC Machinery, a company that has technology for manufacturing custom-sized boxes, eliminating the need for single-use plastics in packaging. The Amazon Climate Pledge Fund invests in companies that can accelerate Amazon's climate pledge goals, a commitment signed by over 200 global businesses. The fund is a $ 2 billion venture investment program designed to support companies building products, technologies, and services that will enable Amazon and other companies to accelerate their path to net-zero carbon. Through climate pledge fund investments in these innovative technologies, I can help accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. These companies span multiple industries and provide new pathways for Amazon to achieve climate pledge goals, a commitment co-founded by Amazon and Global Optimism aimed at getting companies to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement.
CMC Machinery's technology (an Italian packaging company founded in the 1980s) includes CMC CartonWrap, an automatic carton packaging system capable of creating dynamic cardboard boxes from continuous folded corrugated paper. CMC Machinery's technology designs and manufactures boxes tailored to the dimensions of items in each order. This results in accurate packaging sizes, eliminating the need for single-use plastic padding while still protecting items during transport.
First, the products to be shipped are volume-scanned. Then, by reading codes, all documents related to the product, such as delivery notes and invoices, are automatically attached to the package. Folded paper (Z-folded cardboard) is fed in, and CMC's Carton Wrap custom-manufactures corrugated cardboard packaging based on volume data, placing the product directly into the created cardboard. At the production line exit, shipping labels are automatically applied to each order, and packages can be sorted according to different criteria (direction, carrier).
Carton Wrap is specifically designed to meet the needs of companies using large numbers of different-sized packaging, such as online sales and logistics.
It can be used for various products (phones, books, CDs, textiles, etc.). Carton Wrap models can produce cardboard boxes with maximum dimensions of 800 x 350 x 200 mm, while Carton Wrap XL models can reach 800 x 600 x 370 mm formats. Custom-designed packaging on-demand can reach up to 1,000 per hour. Carton Wrap first avoids storing cardboard boxes of different formats; it can also truly save cardboard: it calculates preparation work to minimize material loss as much as possible. Up to 25% savings compared to traditional packaging. This packaging optimization also translates to shipping costs, saving up to 30%.
Amazon expects that by the end of 2022, this technology can reduce the average cubic volume of each box by 24%, and is expected to reduce the use of approximately 1 billion plastic air cushions by the end of 2022.
"This investment further strengthens our long-term partnership with Amazon and our shared commitment to reducing environmental impact related to e-commerce packaging." said Francesco Ponti, CEO and Strategic Business Development Director of CMC Machinery. "We are proud that our technology has become a true enabler of the climate pledge and contributes to transitioning toward a carbon-neutral future."
