With the rapid growth of ecommerce over recent years, due to the ease and convenience of having everything you need delivered straight to your door, consumers now expect their goods delivered quickly, cheaply, and sustainably.

In fact, a 2023 survey found that 56.8% of consumers say sustainable packaging and shipping was important, and 79.6% said they would wait an extra day for their online order if that meant it was shipped in a more sustainable way.

There are a few easy wins when it comes to shipping your goods more sustainably, keep reading to find out!

PACKAGING

The easiest way to ship your goods sustainably is to make sure you optimise your packaging. This includes choosing an environmentally friendly packaging provider and choosing the right size box. 76.6% of consumers say companies use excessive packaging when shipping products. Shipping your goods in packaging that is too big and contains lots of empty space costs you more and produces more carbon as it takes up more space on transport than it needs to.

Another easy win is reusing packaging. By choosing to ship your goods in a once used box, you don’t contribute to the deforestation involved in box manufacture. You also save energy, water and carbon which is involved in the process of making brand new boxes.

Reuseabox offer long-term, regular supplies for many cardboard packing boxes. Oh – and they’re up to 50% cheaper than buying them brand new!

TRANSPORT

The next big factor is transporting your goods. This step can be the most environmentally damaging if not done correctly.

The best way to make transport eco-friendly is to invest in zero-emission vehicles. By having electric vehicles deliver your goods this produces significantly less CO2 than vehicles that burn fossil fuels. However, this isn’t always an easy fix for smaller companies or start-ups.

The easiest way to reduce your carbon emissions during transport is to optimise your routes. Planning the journey’s drop off points in an efficient route will minimise your time on the road, make the logistics a smoother process, and of course cut the carbon and fuel cost of the journey.

RETURNS

A customer returning a product they have been delivered means double the shipping emissions. The best thing to do to make this more sustainable is to minimise returns by making sure the customer is happy with their product. This means strict quality control so the consumer gets exactly what they were expecting.

Read more about good practises to minimise returns here.

CONCLUSION

There are a number of easy ways you can quickly reduce the carbon footprint of shipping your goods, no matter the size of your business. Such as choosing a sustainable packaging provider or optimising your transport routes.

Larger businesses can invest in green energy and electric vehicles to reduce their emissions even further.

Once you’ve tried reducing your carbon with the above steps, you may even want to consider looking into carbon offsetting. Environmental projects such as tree planting and carbon capture can help your business contribute to a more sustainable future.