Recycle Utah

Nonprofit Summit County, Utah Recycling Center

#shopping local

The Footprint of Online Returns

by

Oh, the joy and convenience of typing a few keys in search of that perfect jacket, punching purchase, and having it arrive on your doorstep three days later. There are environmental pros and cons to both online and in-store purchases depending on one’s consumerism knowledge and awareness. The clencher is timing; our societal ‘now’ mindset wants items the next day after purchasing, which means the product could be transported by airplane or in a partially full truck. Can it wait? Also, can multiple items be purchased from the same supplier to minimize packaging and trips? Choosing slower shipping options not only saves money but also allows for retailers to have more time to plan and consolidate deliveries.

Then, there are the returns. Customers return at least 30% of clothing purchased online resulting in millions of tons of carbon emissions per year. Finally, the waste. About one in four returned goods is landfilled, possibly due to out of season styles. So, what is the best way to reduce returns from online shopping? So, how can you best reduce your returns when shopping online?

  1. Does the item have complete product information including customer reviews?
  2. Could retailers offer a discount on items that aren’t returned?
  3. Do retailers resell, donate, repurpose, or recycle returned clothes? Learn before you buy and find out how returns are handled.
  4. Are there local options for your desired online product?
  5. Do not purchase multiple sizes online knowing that a return is inevitable.
  6. Double check your ‘cart’ for size, color, etc. before purchasing.

In conclusion, knowing that we’re all drawn to online convenience, I’m still a fan of buying locally to support our businesses and save on packaging. Returns are less likely with in-store purchases. Research reveals only 9% of items are returned from in-store purchases versus 30% online. Let’s be mindful about how we buy things by consolidating errands and shopping to reduce car trips. The pandemic may have exacerbated online purchases, but there’s no reason we can’t tweak our buying behavior and reverse the trend.

By Mary Closser

The Environmental Cost of Online Shopping

by

In the age of the internet, efficiency is everything, especially when it comes to e-commerce. Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) like personal care and homecare products are increasingly ordered online rather than in-store and are delivered within days of purchase. Factors such as delivery, packaging, and a perceived demand by consumers to receive goods faster all contribute to emissions and waste related to online shopping. But is it worse than going to the store yourself?

Truthfully, the environmental impact is more complicated than you’d think. Consumer behavior, waste, logistics, the type and amount of packaging, and the distance from distribution hub to store or home all play a role. A recent study published by MIT’s Real Estate Innovation Lab compiled research on both shopping options to address some of these complexities. Under specific circumstances, ordering goods for delivery actually has less of an impact on the environment because shoppers are making fewer individual trips. But change some of the assumptions, such as inefficient freight consolidation or amount of packaging, and the results favor in-store shopping.

When there is a perceived demand for receiving goods as fast as possible, companies will cater to the consumer. So, what’s the best thing you can do to avoid the online shopping conundrum? Be a conscious consumer! The less stuff you buy, online or in-store, the less you’ll contribute to waste and pollution. Think about alternative buying options for FMCGs such as buying in bulk, buying local, and consolidating trips to the store.

By Olivia Beckstead