Sustainable E-commerce: Make Your Business More Sustainable

In today’s consumerism world, shoppers constantly search for the best deals and new products to simplify and improve their lives.

However, the rise in e-commerce opportunities and the popularity of online shopping have soured in recent years, highlighting the impact e-commerce operations have on communities worldwide and the environment. 

From selecting and incorporating sustainable packaging solutions and digital paperwork to re-evaluating your shipping options to lower carbon emissions and improve efficiency, there are multiple ways you can successfully and sustainably move towards greener business practices.

E-Commerce & the Environment

It is easy to assume that the massive rise of e-commerce would lead to a lower environmental impact when one considers how much operations have shifted to the online world. However, these assumptions often ignore what comes with online shopping and the many moving components that make it possible. 

Many companies prioritize cheap packaging to keep their overall costs down, often including express delivery options alongside it. This typically results in huge amounts of non-recyclable and cheap materials landing in landfills, with inefficient delivery routes focusing on speed rather than fuel consumption.

Every online sale, every click of the ‘buy’ button, triggers a chain reaction of environmental consequences. The shipping container, the packaging materials, and the transportation- each element leaves its mark. It’s time to rethink these processes and find sustainable solutions that are kinder to our planet.

What is Sustainable E-Commerce?

So, what exactly is sustainable e-commerce? It’s a business model that aims to minimize its environmental impact while buying and selling goods or services online. This approach involves online stores adopting environmentally and socially responsible practices, such as reducing packaging waste, using renewable energy, and developing shipping operations that limit harmful emissions. 

Some people may feel that sustainable e-commerce is a contradictory term, as shopping naturally encourages the consumption of materials. But it largely depends on the individual business’s practices. Any company dedicated to reducing its carbon footprint will develop transparent and effective plans outlining how it will work towards lower emissions, avoid wasteful packaging, and reduce its overall environmental impact. 

Making Business Sustainable

A company can improve its sustainability standards, operations, and overall reputation among consumers in many ways. While many of these green practices are more expensive than traditional options, many consumers are willing to pay more for products and services that positively impact the environment.

Green Shipping Options

One of the most effective ways to make your shipping operations more environmentally friendly is by switching to carbon-neutral shipping services. These companies calculate the emissions created from deliveries and offset them by supporting and contributing to climate projects. They will also use low-emission or zero-emission vehicles. However, these shipping services may cost more than standard options, which will result in high delivery fees for your customers.

Furthermore, while many consumers will choose fast delivery if given the option, it has a massive negative impact on the environment. By prioritizing speed and convenience, shipments become smaller and more frequent, increasing the number of trips made and significantly raising harmful carbon emissions. The best way to combat this is by encouraging slower delivery options that allow you to gather more orders for larger and less frequent shipments. 

Sustainable Packaging

Some of the cheapest packaging products available for businesses to use are plastics and foams, which are not biodegradable and difficult to recycle efficiently. This often results in mass amounts of harmful waste ending up in landfills across the world, polluting soil and water sources for many human and animal communities. 

An effective way to combat this unnecessary waste is by switching to cardboard, paper, and recycled packaging solutions. Eco-friendly companies can offer multiple different types of recycled and recyclable outer packaging, inner packaging, labeling, and sealing tape. They also use sustainable ink alternatives, which can include soy ink and algae ink. 

Quality Products

Alongside packaging, throwaway consumerism is one of the biggest business factors that negatively impacts the environment. This term is often used to describe companies that intentionally design products with a limited lifespan, forcing customers to regularly repurchase items. 

It is not easy to choose a manufacturing style that prioritizes longevity, as it can be challenging to compete with sales of companies regularly selling items with a 2-year lifespan compared to a 10-year lifespan. However, this reliability creates trust and value for customers, improving your overall reputation and ultimately leading to improved support in the long run.

Reduce Returns

Returns are inevitable in the world of e-commerce, and designing a sustainable returns policy can be a tricky endeavor. You essentially need to create a policy that will ensure your customers remain satisfied should they have an issue while simultaneously encouraging them not to use it. 

Customers need to be able to return damaged or broken items, but the consumer culture of buying multiple products with the intention of only keeping one is incredibly wasteful and something you should aim to discourage. 

You can approach this issue in two ways. First, you can be clear and honest with your customers about the harmful impact of returns and your overall desire to minimize your company’s carbon footprint. Second, you can ensure that products meet expectations by providing accurate and updated product information, descriptions, and images so that customers know exactly what they are buying.