Amazon partners IIT Roorkee to develop recyclable packaging from agricultural waste

Amazon has revealed that its working with IIT Roorkee to convert agricultural waste into biodegradable paper mailers, addressing stubble burning problems while creating sustainable alternatives to plastic packaging.

India generates 500 million tonnes of agricultural waste every year. By developing packaging material from waste, the research project aims to reduce pressure on virgin wood pulp, a resource made directly from freshly cut-down trees. Amazon said that this 15-month research project will convert crop waste like wheat, straw, and sugarcane residue into high quality paper mailers.

These lightweight yet strong packaging materials offer a recyclable and home-compostable alternative to traditional wood pulp paper or plastic bags.

This innovative approach to packaging also helps reduce stubble burning, the highly-polluting practice of setting fire to leftover straw and crop residue remaining in fields after harvest.

“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,” says Abhinav Singh, VP, Amazon India.

Turning Waste Into Packaging

The transformation from agricultural waste to Amazon packaging begins at the INNOPAP (Innovations in Paper and Packaging) lab at the Department of Paper and Packaging Technology at IIT Roorkee, where wheat, straw, and bagasse (materials typically discarded after harvest) arrive for processing.

The agricultural residue is first digested in an autoclave digester, breaking down the raw materials to produce pulp. This process converts crop waste into usable fiber, reducing reliance on virgin materials traditionally used in paper production.

Once the pulp is prepared, it undergoes washing and screening to remove impurities and ensure consistent quality. The screened pulp is then used to make paper through a pressing and drying process. Each sample is manufactured to meet Amazon’s specifications for durability and recyclability.

The result is a mailer that began as waste but now serves as functional, recyclable packaging.

The collaboration with IIT Roorkee’s Department of Paper and Packaging Technology will begin with lab-scale development and testing over a 15-month period. Subject to successful performance tests, Amazon will provide support to progress to industrial trials, process validation, and commercial production by mid to late next year.

Prof. Kamal Kishore Pant, Director IIT Roorkee, says, “Sustainability is no longer a choice, it is an urgent national priority. This collaboration between IIT Roorkee and Amazon is a step towards realising India’s vision of a circular economy, aligned with government missions such as Swachh Bharat, Startup India, circular economy and the National Resource Efficiency Policy.”