Is online shopping really all that bad?
Dionne Searcey’s article for the New York Times breaks down some of the important considerations when shopping online. Some of the benefits to online shopping include increased efficiency and group shipping rather than individual trips to brick and mortar shops. Ultimately, it sounds like a great idea to worry less about land-use changes for store construction and have vehicles deliver packages to every house in the neighborhood within one trip.
However, online shopping is only more sustainable when they incorporate “all-electric shipping and reduced packaging.” Most online providers do not abide by these best practices yet, especially as electric vehicle (EV) contracting issues pose new problems for companies like Amazon and FedEx. Therefore, most of the current transportation is still fueled by greenhouse gases. “The shipping industry alone accounts for 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.”
Also, the production of plastic single-use packages forces consumers to reckon with the waste they are producing. Plastic is sourced from greenhouse gases like oil and shipping packages either cannot be or are improperly recycled. To add to the negatives, online shopping is very energy intensive. The article cites that ordering items online requires the use of data centers that use “about 10 times the amount of energy of a typical home.”
While shopping in person also presents ethical and environmental concerns, the article sums up by writing that the most important step consumers can take to reduce their carbon footprint is to become more conscious of the way they shop. Searcey writes that everyone should practice slow shopping. Think carefully about your purchases, if you really need them, and if you’re purchasing the correct sizing. Look at the reviews to avoid a potential return and try to group orders togeether to reduce individual shipments.
Ultimately, shopping doesn’t have to be stressful for environmentally conscious citizens—just be careful and think through your purchases.
Sources: The New York Times
