Internet shopping is becoming increasingly popular with just below 80% of the UK population participating [1], well above the EU average of 56%. In the first half of 2009, £22.9 billion [2] was spent through online shopping so it is a significant market. The benefits of no store closing times, delivery to your home and often cheaper prices means that this is only set to rise. Online shopping is often advertised as being more green, or environmentally friendly, however is this true? In a study, 56% [2] of shoppers think that it is, so this article explores this and suggests the best methods of cutting carbon in your shopping.
Failed Delivery
There is quite often no one at home to receive goods ordered online and they often have to be delivered again. 181g of carbon dioxide is emitted for each successful delivery, 271g for a second attempt and 316g for the third – approximately three quarters more than if the first delivery was successful [1]. After this, a parcel is usually returned to a depot for the customer to collect which can often mean travelling many miles to the outskirts of town and consequently emitting much more carbon dioxide. A 25km round trip by car to collect a missed parcel will emit 5,188g of carbon dioxide which is the equivalent of 16 delivery attempts by the delivery van. Delivering an item by bus will still emit 3,374g of carbon dioxide, the equivalent of 11 delivery attempts.
Product Returns
It is estimated that between 25% and 30% of all non-food purchases bought online are returned. This is usually through a delivery driver as part of his or her usual round which generates 416g of carbon dioxide, or to a local post office. However, if returning an item requires a separate journey to a depot or conventional shop, around 4,509g of carbon dioxide can be emitted if it isn’t combined with other activities.
Trip-Chaining and Browsing Trips
Trip-chaining is the combination of shopping with a wider reason, involving only a small detour to the shops. It is estimated that shopping like this would produce around 1,069g of carbon dioxide so helps to rationalise personal travel. However, making additional browsing trips prior to making purchases can double or treble the carbon footprint of a shopping trip.
Overall it is acknowledged that in the case of small non-food items, online shopping is likely to generate less carbon dioxide than a conventional trip to the shops. However, these benefits can be reinforced by changing habits:
- Avoid travelling by car to collect undelivered products or return unwanted items
- Install a reception/delivery box outside your home for items not requiring signatures
- Arrange for conveniently located collection points at post offices or public transport terminals
- Reschedule deliveries into the evenings or weekends
- Order many items from the same retailer to cut down carbon emissions
Another option would be to make sure you are purchasing online from a sustainable source, such as ESW’s store which features a range of environmentally friendly products and we will even offset carbon emissions created through delivery through our Carbon Action Points scheme
