Is online shopping really more sustainable?

Buying things has never been easier. The convenience of buying virtually anything with just a few clicks and having it delivered to your door is something our ancestors couldn’t even dream of. But online shopping opens a Pandora’s box. Do you know what you’re actually buying without seeing it? What are the working conditions of workers involved in the supply chain, from production to delivery? Is this practice more sustainable than buying in-store?

None of these questions are easy to answer, but the last one is particularly confusing. At first glance, you might think that online shopping must be more eco-friendly – no energy-intensive stores and less infrastructure. Sometimes this may be true, but the reality is much more complex.

Over the last decade, e-commerce has grown in popularity. Thanks to giants like Amazon, Alibaba and countless other platforms, online shopping offers unparalleled convenience. The Covid-19 pandemic has further accelerated this trend, as lockdowns and social distancing measures have prompted consumers to shop online more than ever before. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), global e-commerce sales reached $26.7 trillion in 2020, a significant increase over previous years and a number that continues to grow.

This is an important trend in our society, but surprisingly, there is little research comparing the environmental impact of large-scale online stores with brick-and-mortar stores. A study by Italian researchers found that most studies emphasize that shopping in real life is more environmentally friendly, but only by a small degree. Similar results were obtained by a team examining shopping in Italy.

“Overall, the results indicate that e-shopping is potentially more sustainable than in-store shopping, with emissions 10-30% lower, depending on the specific context.”

However, it’s not as simple as saying “online shopping is better.”

Emissions and transport

Transportation emissions are a significant factor in the online shopping environment. A product’s journey from warehouse to consumer’s home involves multiple transportation steps, each contributing to the overall carbon footprint. This process includes long-distance shipping from manufacturers to distribution centers, local delivery from warehouses to homes, and return transportation of returned products.

However, the type of transportation really makes a difference.

Goods ordered online often travel huge distances before reaching the consumer. Products manufactured in one country may be shipped to another for distribution by air, sea or land. Air transport, although fast, is particularly carbon intensive, emitting significantly more CO2 per tonne-kilometer compared to sea or land transport. Maritime transport, although more efficient, still contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants.

We all expect fast delivery (often the same day), but it is this fast delivery that can drastically increase the greenhouse gas emissions from our purchases. Anything related to air travel is bound to involve more emissions.

The final leg of the journey, from the local distribution center to the consumer’s home, is typically served by delivery vans or trucks. This stage can be particularly carbon-intensive because it often requires many stops and starts in urban areas. The rise of same-day and next-day delivery options is exacerbating this problem, requiring more vehicles on the road and less efficient routing.

Returns further complicate the transportation emissions associated with online shopping, with online shoppers being much more likely to return a product (some estimates suggest they are 3 times more likely). Returned products must be sent back to warehouses or directly to retailers, adding another layer of greenhouse gas emissions. High returns rates, particularly in the fashion industry, mean that many products effectively double their transportation footprint before they reach their final destination.

So if you want to buy something online, check how the product is delivered and shipped – and if possible, don’t insist on faster delivery.

Packing and over-packing

If there is one thing that online stores do conscientiously, it is packaging; perhaps they are doing it too urgently.

Retailers aim to protect items during transit, which often leads to the use of multiple layers of packaging and packaging aids, including boxes, bubble wrap, air bags and plastic fillers. While these materials provide safety, they also generate a significant amount of waste.

This leads to a multi-faceted problem.

Firstly, the production of packaging materials, in particular plastic and cardboard, consumes significant natural resources and energy. Plastics come from fossil fuels, and their production releases greenhouse gases. Cardboard production, although biodegradable, still involves deforestation and energy-intensive processes.

Secondly, the disposal of packaging waste poses a serious threat to the environment. Plastic packaging often ends up in landfills or oceans, where it can last for hundreds of years, harming wildlife and ecosystems. Even recyclable materials such as cardboard can be problematic if not recycled properly, leading to increased amounts of waste going to landfills.

While packaging can vary greatly, on average, products shipped online typically use significantly more packaging. Packaging emissions and waste are typically several times higher for online products.

So if online shopping can cause so many problems, how can it be better?

The biggest benefits come from our shopping habits rather than the inherent benefits of online shopping.

A study by Deloitte shows that people going to a shopping mall or other large store buy three and a half products in one trip. They also stop at other stores along the way and generally buy much more than they would online. Basically, when you shop offline, you buy more, which creates more emissions.

Moreover, some of the infrastructure used in stationary buildings is really expensive in terms of energy consumption. Many places benefit from 24-hour air conditioning and large amounts of electricity. But when you put it all together, the difference isn’t as big on average as you might expect.

The debate on whether online shopping is more sustainable than traditional retail is complex and multi-faceted. Both forms of purchasing have their advantages and disadvantages related to environmental protection. The key to sustainability is finding balance and adopting practices that minimize environmental impact.

The first thing you should do if you want to reduce your impact on the environment is to simply buy less. Yes, it’s primitive, but it’s also very efficient. We live in an age of primary consumerism, but we recycle very little of what we use, and without a doubt the most sustainable solution is to simply buy less.

The second is to invest in high-quality products that will last longer and reduce the need for frequent replacements. This approach not only saves you money in the long run, but also reduces waste. Sure, you spend more on a high-quality product, but you use it more often and it’s ultimately better for you or the environment.

Finally, if you’re a ‘flash shopper’, try to support sustainable brands or those that use minimal packaging. Many consumers don’t mind paying a premium for sustainability, but paying a premium alone does not guarantee sustainability.

Companies can also make a difference. Technological advances such as AI-powered supply chain optimization and renewable energy-powered delivery vehicles offer promising solutions to reduce the environmental impact of e-commerce. Hybrid models such as click and collect services can also help strike a balance between convenience and sustainability.

Ultimately, however, consumers are driving companies to adapt, and consumers can (and should) ask for more sustainable options.

The rise of e-commerce has changed the way we shop, offering unrivaled convenience and a wide range of products at our fingertips. However, the environmental impact of our digital shopping habits cannot be ignored. From the carbon footprint of deliveries to the waste generated by packaging, online shopping presents significant sustainability challenges.