Greening online, the true cost of shopping from home
”Shopping from the comfort of our homes may be the go-to-therapy for many. But between plastic packaging, carbon emissions and over 30% returns headed straight for landfills, what is the true cost of this new way of consuming?” Celia Ingesson founder Greeningline
It’s so easy to shop online and return products; people don’t usually consider how this convenience may affect the climate. It’s important to think about how our choices make an impact and what we can do to make greener decisions …
Picked delivery tomorrow, or two-day shipping because it's free? Or returned an item of clothing using the free return-shipping-label because you weren't sure which size to buy, so you bought more than one?
Some online shopping habits are terrible for the environment. What you may not have realized is those convenient perks can drastically expand the carbon footprint of an online sale and think of that multiplied by billions around the globe.
"We are not paying for fast shipping, we are not paying for returns, but there's a cost to the environment. "It is our duty to make sustainable choices in our shopping behavior”
It may sound counterintuitive, but the more eco-conscious way to shop is
Going to a physical pick-up-place or store
Opt for bicycle curriers if provided or electric delivery vehicles.
DO NOT buy several items with the intent to return.
Frequent online purchases produce more packaging waste.
For those who are serious about reducing their carbon footprint, opt for eco-friendly packaging wherever possible!
Why Buy to Return, is a climate disaster!
Maybe you bought three styles, or different sizes from the same brand because you weren't sure which would fit. Or added an item you didn't really want to meet the free-shipping threshold. Or just impulse-bought something that was on sale and then thought better of it. People tend to over-order online and have a return rate of about 25 to 30 per cent, compared to 6 to 10% when they deal with physical shops.
Returned items don't just go back to the local store — they often feed into a global logistics system that may take them to be processed in a country where wages are lower. Returned goods make journeys of thousands of miles, to make matters worse, companies often expedite shipping to make an item available to another customer as quickly as possible. A shocking 20-30% of these online-returns end up in landfill because they are unable to be resold by the companies.
What can You do?
The best way a customer can limit their impact on the environment is to be choosy with their purchases. Be sure you really want a product and won’t change your mind once it arrives on your door. Do your research and be an informed buyer, these are very easy ways to increase the likelihood that you will be happy with your purchase.
How about just buying less?
It goes without saying that the most effective way to reduce your online-shopping-carbon-footprint is by buying less, I would like to urge shoppers to be more mindful of what they buy, and plan ahead when You can.
Greening Shipping and Returns
Discouraging unnecessary shipping & returns and the carbon emissions that goes with them is one reason Greeningline as a sustainable-clothing-brand doesn't offer free shipping or returns. It’s important we all work together to limit our environmental impact as much as possible. This means thinking about how our actions affect the environment. This might just be one parcel but it’s the cumulative effect that matters, let’s be the change!