What exactly does the term “green ecommerce” imply?
Green ecommerce, also known as sustainable or eco-friendly ecommerce, is an online business model in which companies sell products and services while taking into account the environmental impact of doing business and working to decrease it. You can offset your carbon emissions in a variety of ways, including by utilizing renewable energy or conserving resources.
The objective of ecommerce that is environmentally friendly is to minimize the adverse environmental effect of internet enterprises while still supplying products and services to customers. Many consumers want to purchase from companies that are environmentally aware and are taking efforts to help the environment.
Online retailers may provide more sustainable and environmentally friendly goods to their customers while also monitoring and mitigating their carbon impact.
The 4 Best Business Practices for Making Your E-Commerce More Sustainable
It’s easy to go green as a company without having to disrupt your whole supply chain.
There are a number of sensible things you can do to decrease your company’s environmental effect (and even start small) without sacrificing profitability (and possibly improving it in the long term).
1. Use biodegradable packaging instead of non-biodegradable packing.
Packaging that is not recyclable and excess packaging are two of the most significant contributors to waste. Recycled materials or those that are readily recyclable or compostable are used to make eco-friendly packaging.
Switching to more environmentally friendly packaging comes with a greater price tag, however 70% of customers polled would pay extra for sustainable packaging. However, eco-friendly packing is worth the investment.
2. Eliminate single-use plastics
Single-use plastics are a significant cause of waste, pollution, and global warming. It’s critical to find methods to reduce their use in your supply chain (and even better, to get rid of them entirely).
This implies skipping the act of wrapping each item in its own bag (or using ships-in-own-container packing) or cutting down on the quantity of marketing materials given with each order.
While certain goods must be packaged individually for safety or sanitary reasons, consider using a biodegradable bag or one produced from recycled materials instead.
3. Purchase carbon offsets for the business
Carbon offsets are an excellent method to make your ecommerce business more environmentally friendly by applying them elsewhere. While your store is open, there are still a lot of carbon emissions produced throughout the course of daily logistics operations.
When considering how to offset carbon emissions, you may want a strong and broadly diversified portfolio of offsetting projects.
4. Distribute your inventory to reduce shipping distance when possible
Fast and expedited shipping at a reasonable price are familiar to many customers. If you’re sending stuff out of a warehouse in California, for example, it’s extremely difficult to get your client’s purchase to them in New York within two days via ground delivery, which is not as bad for the environment as air shipping.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it’s not that difficult or expensive to make your ecommerce environmentally friendly. Eco-friendly practices may even save you money in the long run and help improve your brand image, which can attract new customers.
What are some things you can do to make your ecommerce company more sustainable? Let us know in the comments below.