When selling products online, it’s important to consider your carbon footprint. While not having a physical store can result in reduced energy consumption, there are ways in which it can be more harmful to the environment such as the carbon emissions created by transporting products to the customer. Fortunately, there are many steps that e-commerce businesses can take to make their business more eco-friendly. Below are just a few ways to make an e-commerce business greener.
Sell more eco-friendly products
Start by considering your line of products – are there any ways in which you could make your product line greener? If you sell clothing, this could include focusing less on clothes made from synthetic materials and looking more at clothes made from natural materials. If you sell food products or cosmetics, this could include selling more organic and vegan options. Reconsider selling any products that may have a notably harmful environmental impact.
Use green packaging
The packaging you use could be important to consider too. Ideally, you want to avoid disposable plastic as much as possible so that you’re not adding to plastic pollution – take a look into paper and cardboard alternatives to things like fillers and bags. There may be some cases where plastic is necessary. In these instances, try to use recyclable plastics and make sure that they are clearly labelled as recyclable.
Work with green shipping companies
Some shipping companies go to greater lengths to reduce their carbon footprint than others. This could include using more eco-friendly vehicles or donating proceeds to environmental causes. Consider looking into these companies to provide your shipping. Even when choosing a customs brokerage and compliance company, it’s worth looking into companies that do their part for the planet. Try to avoid companies that may have a notorious track record for being environmentally unfriendly.
Consider if drop-shipping is an option
Rather than shipping a product half-way across the planet, it may be possible to take advantage of drop-shipping. This involves looking for a warehouse near to the customer that stocks your product and delivering the product from there. This can reduce emissions created during shipping, as well as making shipping quicker. Of course, drop-shipping is only possible for products that are stocked across the world (usually products belonging to big brands). If you’re selling a product that is only found locally or a product that you’ve made yourself, you may have no choice but to ship it across the world.
Encourage your customers to be greener
You can also encourage your customers to take more eco-friendly action. This could include promoting greener products or promoting greener delivery options. It’s important to also make it clear that any packaging is recyclable, so that your customer does indeed recycle it. There may be other things that you can do such as sharing stories and information about saving the environment or even donating proceeds to environmental causes.
