Getting our goods from point A to point B once relied entirely on the consumer, with shipping only necessary to get the products from the manufacturer to the store. Today, shipping and shopping work as closely together as beer and pretzels, to service the over 2.14 billion online shoppers, worldwide.
E-commerce stores typically operate with low overhead, and cost far less to run than traditional brick and mortar stores that need light, power, cooling and heating, staff and security. But as our business moves toward being “totally-internetized,” many are wondering why our shipping experience hasn’t gotten greener with our shopping experience. Let’s consider a few benefits of green or eco-friendly shipping and shopping, and why it’s critical to our future and the future of our oceans and skies.
1. eCommerce and Shipping
eCommerce goes hand in hand with shipping, with the two elements relying on each other for success. There is simply no way to divorce e-commerce from shipping and packaging needs, making it critical to give eco-friendly shopping options a good deal of thought, before you make your next online purchase. How was your product packaged and how will it reach you, and what kind of eco-footprint will it leave? Let’s take a moment to consider the process of eco-friendly shopping and shipping!
2. Why are Green Shipping Solutions Important?
According to an IMO GHG study, “Maritime transport emits around 940 million tonnes of CO2 annually and is responsible for about 2.5% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.”
Shipping obviously has a great deal to do with GHG emissions, meaning green shipping solutions will certainly be the way of the future.
Shipping obviously has a great deal to do with GHG emissions, meaning green shipping solutions will certainly be the way of the future. We are already seeing cleaner fuels and drag reduction, which when added in conjunction with green packaging, promise to make all the difference.
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3. Why Go Green With Shipping?
Did you know Amazon is estimated to ship over 1.6 million packages per day, and an average of 2.5 billion packages anually to every corner of the globe. Without careful consideration and reflection, shipping emissions are projected to grow by as much as 50% before 2050.
Shipping emissions are projected to grow by as much as 50% before 2050.
But considering the vast untapped potential to reduce shipping emissions with techniques like slow steaming, weather routing, contra-rotating propellers and propulsion devices, all of which conserve fuel, it would be just as easy to move the other direction toward green and eco-friendly shipping.
4. How does Shipping Affect Climate Change?
Ships are the main driver of climate change and ocean acidification. Human waste and shipping routes create carbon dioxide by burning materials like wood, oil, and coal. This type of carbon dioxide emissions are a form of pollution, recognized as the primary driver of climate change.
Ocean-going vessels released 1.12 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2007
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) calculated that ocean-going vessels released 1.12 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2007, the equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from over 205 million cars.
5. Offer a Green Check-Out Option
Offering a green check-out option, like combined packaging or shipping, is a great way to show your customer base you are committed to going green, and also to let them get involved and feel good about their order.
Green shipping and check out options are also a huge motivator…
Many consumers make decisions on the products they buy based on customer service or quality of the product, but green shipping and check out options are also a huge motivator, as more shoppers become aware of their options and how too much non-eco-friendly shipping is hurting the earth.
6. Use Shipping Software
Shipping software is a great way to get organized and get green. Deploying shipping software from a reputable vendor will allow you to reduce your paper waste, as shipping orders and logs are recorded electronically. It also provides customers with easy, reliable and consistent shipping options, by eliminating potential human error in the input process.
Deploying shipping software from a reputable vendor will allow you to reduce your paper waste
Shipping software automates the shipping process, taking the pressure off you to track deliveries, giving you time to consider your next eco-move forward.
7. Use Recycled Materials
Customers not only like using recycled or sustainable packaging materials, they expect it. Plastic and styrofoam are the biggest pollutants in the world, and customers have no problem dropping them for a greener option. Many businesses are making use of biodegradable, organic material, recycled materials like cardboard or paper, and reusable materials like glass to package and ship products.
Many businesses are making use of biodegradable, organic material, recycled materials like cardboard or paper, and reusable materials like glass to package and ship products.
Paper packaging leads the market in 2021, with a wide range of planet-friendly options, as we see with the incredibly popular USPS flat rate boxes, used daily as the shipping solution of choice across the globe.
The world is ready for greener shipping and packaging design solutions, and with so many options, why shouldn’t we insist on the green path forward? Many are insisting on just this path, with imminent internationally agreed-upon energy efficiency rules and standards in the works through the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP). Take a moment today to consider how eco-friendly shopping and shipping can save you money, and save the earth.
Related articles you may find helpful:
The Importance Of Eco-Friendly Packaging For Your Product
Tips for Spreading Awareness of Your Online Business
How To Measure Your Product For A Custom Box [with Video]