Online Shopping is Fast and Convenient. But is it Climate-Friendly?
Buying items online is no longer a trend but a way of life for most people. Many people rely solely on the Internet to buy their stuff. Nevertheless, online shopping also poses some challenges when you are climate-conscious.
Millions of people are ordering shipments and getting deliveries on a daily basis. To a large extent, some practices do not support the fight against climate change. Even though virtual commerce reduces carbon emissions, if it’s not checked, it could cause more harm than good to the environment. To shop sustainably online, read this brief piece.
Buy from your local market
Prioritize shopping at your local market. Purchase most of your products from vendors within your locality if they can offer your preferred quality.
When you buy your products locally, it means you will reduce shipping time, and there will be fewer carbon emissions. In addition, you would be improving your local economy and providing more jobs.
Buy in season for sustainable online shopping
Buying your groceries in season is one of the best sustainable online habits you can think of. Moreover, fruits and vegetables have a season, and they are best when fresh from the farm.
Aside from groceries, shopping in season can be adopted so that the deliveries are limited to a few times yearly. This approach will also reduce carbon emissions.
Buy from environmentally certified vendors
Look out for vendors with environmental certifications. The environmental certification shows that the business is committed to climate-friendly practices. Also, vendors with such certifications may also indicate products that are made from organic materials. An online store like Swiss Impact Store has a lot of environmentally certified vendor.
Request non-plastic packaging when online shopping
Opt for companies that package their orders with other materials. Shop from vendors that use sustainable packaging like cardboard, biodegradable materials, etc. There is a good chance you will find vendors using such materials to package their orders.
Dispose of the package properly
If you do everything here and don’t dispose of your package properly, then you have failed. Always check if the item you bought can be recycled. Also, you can find another way to use the item instead of disposing of it to the environment and causing more damage.
Don’t make unnecessary returns
Returning an item you purchased because it is defective is absolutely OK. But returning it only because it doesn’t meet your requirements is not. It is advisable to only return an order when it is 100 percent necessary.
Shop for the long haul
Shopping online in bits is not a sustainable practice. Opt for products that you are going to use in the long haul. Reduce the number of one-off items you buy that may end up in the garbage. However, food is an exception, but buy from your local vendors to reduce carbon emissions.
Conclusion
Although shopping online reduces carbon emissions, it may not entirely do so if a sustainable online shopping approach is not maintained. Look for an e-commerce website with vendors who have climate-friendly products.
Please Share this post with your friends and family – it’s easy – sharing buttons below and right!
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
Warm regards,
P.S. Don’t forget to see what you can do to help slow climate change – click here (it’s free)
[…] Source link […]