Amazon’s APASS Packaging Program – What is it and are you compliant?

If you sell your products on Amazon, you might have heard about the Amazon Packaging Support and Supplier Network Program (APASS) – a new scheme dedicated to reducing packaging waste.

Effective from 1st October 2019, all products sold through Amazon larger than one of the following dimensions 45.5 x 34 x 26.5cm (length x width x height) or weighing 12.3kg or more must be certified or will face a penalty.

For example, if the length and width of your package are shorter than specified above, but the shortest side of your package exceeds 26.5cm, it will still require APASS certification.

Sellers and distributors who don’t comply with the scheme (and their products are not exempt) will be charged £1.50 per shipment.

However, parcels certified under the Tier 1 and Tier 2 guidelines between now and 30th September 2019 will receive a one-off credit of £0.75 per unit.

Three-tier system
Any products covered by the program will need to be tested (which can be done in one of Amazon’s approved testing facilities) and certified in accordance with Amazon’s three-tier system.

Tier 1: Frustration Free Packaging (FFP) – Items that can be shipped in their own container and are made of curb-side recyclable packaging materials.

Tier 2: Ship in Own Container (SIOC) – Items that can be shipped in their own container and are approved to 6-Amazon SIOC standard.

Tier 3: Prep-Free Packaging (PFP) – Items that need to be shipped in an Amazon over-box and approved to ISTA 6-Amazon OVERBOX standard.

Exclusions
Products currently excluded from the scheme include:

• Drop ship items (items being sent directly from vendor to consumer)
• Bulk shipped items (anything over 1m x 1m)
• Collatable packs (e.g. the very small items that have to be bundled together known in Amazon as ‘Add On Items’)
• Hazardous goods (e.g. items including lithium ion batteries)
• Prime Pantry or Amazon fresh items

Need to test your products?
Macfarlane Packaging has joined forces with Sealed Air, one of the few listed end-to-end APASS testing facilities in the UK to help customers ensure their parcels are compliant with the new APASS requirements.

If you want more information about the APASS programme or would like to arrange for your products to be tested, contact us today.