Is online shopping more sustainable than retail shopping? Since the pandemic has started, millions of people have been purchasing online everything they need, from food to clothes. Some people have developed a shopping addiction due to the anxiety of staying home, being afraid of going out and many other reasons.
According to Navodit Babel, GreenStory’s co-founder (a Canadian firm which specialises in measuring and reporting on the environmental footprint of sustainable businesses): “Online shopping is definitely more eco-friendly than brick-and-mortar shopping,” Why? Because of the emissions of driving to the store and the energy used by the retail outlet. However, only 6-8% of clothing items are returned when purchased from a physical store, compared to 30% of online orders. This is due to factors such as multiple sizes and styles being ordered to try on at home, and the convenience of postal returns versus trips to a shopping mall or high street.
A shocking 20% of these online returns end up in landfill because they are unable to be resold by the retailer. In addition, the popularity of express shipping options such as next day delivery has the potential for increasing carbon emissions. Beyond carbon emissions, other environmental impacts may be experienced in the long term, such as a rise in textile waste going to landfill when re-opened stores struggle to shift last season’s stock.
