Amazon automates tech in European delivery stations

Amazon says it will have invested €700 million in delivery station technology across Europe since 2021 by end of the year.

The delivery stations run around 40 operational processes to prepare packages for delivery.

The investment has focused on automating repetitive, manual tasks which Amazon said speeds up the delivery process and reduces the physical strain on its employees.

The technology includes the tipper, a solution which automatically transfers packages onto a conveyor belt, eliminating the need to manually unload packaging.

Amazon said its echelon system manages package flow on conveyor belts, while a six-sided scanner can automatically capture package information from every angle.

Together, these solutions eliminate the need for manual scanning and handling, which Amazon said creates a more streamlined process.

Nic Fyfe, vice president Amazon Logistics, Europe, said the implementation of the technology has increased the number of delivery station employees in reliability, maintenance, and engineering roles by more than 50 per cent.

“In 2024 alone more than 20,000 employees in our European delivery station network acquired new skills related to operating automation technology and AI-powered innovations. In addition to that our employees can chose to develop certain skills,” he added. “We continue to invest in skills-training programs, as instead of someone performing manual tasks sorting packages, that person can be trained to operate the technology that provides support.”

Separately, Amazon said it will deploy advanced automated packing technology across its European network to improve packaging for its customers and reduce waste.

The machines will create custom-made cardboard boxes and paper bags in real time, so that more items reach customers in made-to-fit packaging.

By packing items in recyclable, light paper packaging, without the need for padding, the company said each shipment saves around 26 grams of packaging, with these lightweight paper bags up to 90 per cent lighter than similar-sized cardboard boxes.

Amazon said it plans to install hundreds of automated packaging machines across a number of its European fulfilment centres, with more than 70 of these machines installed in Germany, the UK, France, Italy and Spain by the end of this year, with more to follow by 2027.

Since 2015, Amazon claims it has reduced the average per-shipment packaging weight by 43 per cent. It said that this represents more than three million metric tonnes of packaging avoided, which is the equivalent weight of more than 295 of Paris’ iconic Eiffel Tower.

“We use machine learning and automation to create packaging that’s made to fit, reducing excess materials while making sure the product remains protected,” said Pat Lindner, vice president mechatronics and sustainable packaging, Amazon. “This investment is a significant step forward in reducing the environmental impact of deliveries for our European customers.”