These days any start up or side-hustle has to have a web presence for their products or services. For some it’s complimentary, for others it’s the crux of their business model. If the latter, selling products online can help you to reach a larger audience than if you were to sell them from a physical store. It’s also often much cheaper to run an online store than a physical store. However, the negative environmental impact of running an online store can sometimes be much greater than brick & mortar. This is because products have to be shipped great distances to reach customers. This can result in a lot of carbon emissions. Fortunately, there are many ways in which you can reduce your carbon footprint as an ecommerce company. Below are just 5 green tips for online stores.
Use Sustainable Packaging
Single use plastic is terrible for the environment. It takes years to break down, and when it does, it releases harmful microplastics into the soil and water. Some plastics can be recycled, but often only a limited number of times. Materials like cardboard are a much more eco-friendly option because they are easily recycled and biodegradable. Cardboard can be used for outer packaging and for void filling. On top of saving the planet, such packaging could be great for your company’s marketing, showing that you are a socially responsible company.
Offer Green Shipping
During shipping, the types of vehicle used and the routes taken can affect carbon emissions. By providing a green shipping option, you can give customers the choice to reduce their carbon emissions. Green shipping can be slower than regular shipping, but can be cheaper. Make sure to work with a courier who is able to provide green shipping options.
Look into Dropshipping
Dropshipping involves storing your products in different warehouses across the country/world. When a customer buys a product from your site, a product is shipped from the nearest warehouse. This not only reduces shipping time but can also reduce carbon emissions. You can ship batches of your product to different warehouses from where they can be individually shipped, instead of shipping each product individually from one location.
Donate Proceeds to Environmental Causes
It may be possible to donate proceeds to environmental causes to offset some of the negative impact your company is having. This includes donating money to tree planting projects, renewable energy projects and wildlife protection charities. When setting up a credit card processing API, you could give customers the option to donate proceeds to environmental causes. Alternatively, you could donate proceeds directly from your profits.
Minimize Returns
Returned products don’t just cost you extra money – they also increase your company’s carbon footprint by adding another journey. Make sure to put in place a strict but fair return policy that cannot be taken advantage of. This could include only allowing customers to return products within a short period of time and requiring evidence as to why a product needs to be returned. Making sure that products aren’t getting damaged during transit can also reduce returns. You can reduce damage by using a trusted courier and investing in robust packaging. Finally, make sure to provide clear information on your product. Especially when it comes to information like the size when selling clothing. Don’t try to deceive customers with photos that look nothing like the product as this will encourage returns (and potentially lawsuits).
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