Mondi Performance Lab

The Amazon Packaging Support and Supplier Network (APASS) was created to support vendors, sellers and manufacturers in certifying their products as Prep Free Packaging (PFP), Ships in Own Container (SIOC) or Frustration Free Packaging (FFP) according to the three-tier packaging standard introduced by Amazon.

Through this network, Amazon provides a list of companies and labs that can help with testing, designing and supplying packaging in line with Amazon’s Packaging Certifications. The list is accessible to Amazon vendors. By meeting these packaging standards, Amazon sellers and vendors will significantly reduce costs and new product registration time.

The APASS Network list is provided to Amazon sellers for their convenience only, so that they can more easily find ISTA-certified labs designated as having the proper equipment and abilities to perform ISTA testing. Sellers who ship through Amazon are not yet obliged to use the APASS packaging certification services. If they elect to use these services, they contract with the relevant APASS members directly. The type of service will depend on your needs and packaging type (e.g. packaging performance based on maximum total weight, packaging performance with a specific product inside).

Mondi operates an ISTA-certified lab in České Budějovice in the Czech Republic. As an official member of the APASS network, Mondi offers its package testing services directly to vendors, sellers and manufacturers in compliance with Amazon’s certification requirements.

In this context, Mondi also partners with brands to develop and certify packaging according to Amazon’s three-tier packaging standard while ensuring both the best possible product protection in the rugged e-commerce logistics chain and cost effectiveness in order to support brand growth.

ISTA, or the International Safe Transit Association provides standards for packaging design  to ensure the protection of products during transport.

ISTA 6-Amazon is a package program designed to mitigate the risks of damage that may occur during the distribution of products from Amazon's warehouse to the customer's doorstep. This program was developed through the collaboration of Amazon and ISTA, ensuring that the products are delivered safely and securely to the end-users. It follows strict guidelines and protocols to minimise the risk of damage, ensuring that customers receive their orders in excellent condition.

Frustration Free Packaging is a packaging standard introduced by Amazon to facilitate the Amazon process, reduce environmental impact, enhance the customer experience, and achieve a minimal damage rate. Its key criteria are:

• Protect against damage (no additional prepping needed by Amazon)
• Designed to reduce waste (no overbox needed to be provided by Amazon)
• Recyclability (pack must be 100% recyclable)
• Customer experience (easy to open – product needs to be easily removed within 2 minutes)
• Predefined min./max. dimensions
• Optimisation potential here includes the reduction of:
• packaging components
• volume of air shipped
• box-to-product volume ratio

Compliance requirements: ISTA 6-Amazon, SIOC

The SIOC Amazon designation means no prep is needed by Amazon– no Amazon box or overbox is required. Optimisation potential here includes:

• readiness to ship without an extra box
• ensuring adequate protection

Compliance requirement: ISTA 6-Amazon, SIOC

The product is shipped in an Amazon box, but there is no other prep needed by Amazon. There should be minimal damage rates. Optimisation potential here includes:

• ensuring adequate protection

Compliance requirement: ISTA 6-Amazon, Over Boxing