A recycling company is calling on online stores to take away cardboard boxes from customers

Analysts estimate that Amazon alone delivers two million packages per day worldwide.

In the UK, the disposal and recycling of such vast quantities of cardboard falls largely on consumers who do not always recycle it.

Graham Matthews, head of content at Business Waste, said: “Just over 70% of cardboard is recycled in the UK, which means almost a third ends up in landfill or incinerated when it could be recycled. This is certainly true for many boxes delivered by Amazon, as cardboard is the most common packaging waste material. This must stop and Amazon must take its share of responsibility.”

He said e-commerce companies should ease the burden on customers and local waste management systems while ensuring efficient reuse of materials.

He added that excessive use of cardboard in the case of small shipments is still a significant problem.