Online ordering—we all do it. It’s simple, satisfying, and incredibly convenient. One friend jokes that her husband even orders band-aids online just because he can. In 2020 alone, e-commerce sales jumped by $244 billion—a 43% increase over 2019.

The reason? COVID-19. We were fortunate to have the online option when we needed it, but now it’s 2025. Is it time to reassess the sustainability of our habitual finger-tapping versus the benefits of keeping it local? Buying local often has a lower environmental impact—mainly due to reduced transportation emissions and less packaging.

Additionally, buying local supports our local economy and community services with tax revenue versus benefitting another state’s budget. Consolidating errands or using public transit, walking, or biking to shop locally reduces the footprint even more versus long distances in gas-guzzling cars to pick up a single item. However, online ordering is sometimes necessary and it’s important to know how to optimize it. It’s easy to get carried away online—impulse buying, over-ordering, and then returning items. And with every return comes another truck on the road, adding to emissions! The biggest culprit behind the environmental cost of online shopping is speed. Rush delivery—from one hour to two days—creates serious inefficiencies. Delivery companies can’t afford to wait for all items to arrive at once, so they ship products piecemeal. Trucks head out half-full, increasing both traffic and emissions.

In summary:
● Make phone calls before driving around if in search of a specific item
● Be patient – Forego the ‘Need it Now’ mentality
● Plan smart for errands/distance to stores
● Only buy what you need
● Consider the packaging (Is it minimal? Reusable? Recyclable? Compostable?)
● Buy multiple things at once that can go into a single box vs piecemeal

Here’s to sustainable and smart shopping!

By Mary Closser