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Shopping Online
Shopping Online
No matter how sustainable the website claims to be, shopping local and in-person is always the most sustainable option.
That being said, here are a list of SPL approved(ish) online shopping retailers:
An online marketplace dedicated to selling premium refurbished tech. They have been featured in articles by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
An online marketplace that supports small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Credo is an online shopping cite that specializes in clean beauty and skincare products.
Bookshop is an online book-buying platform that makes it easy to buy books online and support indie bookstores. Every purchase either supports a bookstore you choose or contributes to a profit-sharing pool that helps over 2000 indie bookstores across the US.
An online retail store that specializes in hand made/artisan crafted goods.
An online shopping website founded to normalize clean beauty products for Black women while funding Black Women Entrepreneurs.
An online market that has great sustainable and ethically sourced food, home, and pet products.
Earth Hero is an online shopping website that sells only sustainably or ethically sourced products. It has a particularly helpful tool that allows you to "shop by value" and purchase specifically from businesses that support groups/ideas such as Women-Owned, Made in the USA, or Plastic Free!
Holiday Season Shopping!
Holiday Season Shopping!
With the holiday season coming up (YAY!), the need to buy countless gifts for friends and loved ones has returned. But, whether you are buying for a few people or for "EVERYONE YOU HAVE EVER MET", here are a few tips on how to shop sustainably!
Ask yourself WHY this gift?
Will this gift bring joy/meaning?
Does it have a practical use?
Is this sentimental or will it generate good memories?
Double check at the check-out:
Do I have EVERYTHING I need?
Is all of the clothing being purchased the right size?
What do the reviews say about this item (Is it quality or does it break often?)
Shop secondhand (or DIY)
This is not only a great sustainability tip, but will also help save money!
Adopt a 'fix it first' mindset:
Can you gift your skills with computers or hardware?
Choose slower, grouped delivery
Especially for online shopping, delivery trips to your home quickly add up in emissions. Instead of buying gifts everyday and having packages arrive often, group your orders to reduce the carbon emissions of delivery
Also: if your holiday party/get together is not tomorrow, do you really need day of delivery?
Here is an article about shopping online sustainably
Splurge on good quality, long lasting materials
Though it may cost more, these items will be better in the long run as they require less frequent replacements.
Scary Statistics
Scary Statistics
Shipping and returns accounted for 37% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from e-commerce in 2020.
Earth.Org
By 2030, the number of delivery vehicles is estimated to grow by 36%, contributing an additional ~6 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions.
Earth.Org
Delivery options for very fast shipping are growing quickly: same-day delivery is increasing at ~36% per year, and instant delivery at ~17% per year.
Earth.Org
Online return rates exceed 30% of all purchased goods, in part because 79% of consumers want free return shipping and 92% say they’re more likely to buy again if returns are easy.
Earth.Org
On average, customers return up to 30% of products bought online, leading to ~24 million metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually from e-commerce returns.
Inside Ecology
In 2022, returns accounted for 16.6% of total U.S. retail sales, costing $4.583 trillion (reporting source for scale, though this may refer to projected or aggregated figures).
Inside Ecology
According to the Institute for Sustainable Development, warehousing contributes a large share of e-commerce’s environmental footprint because of energy for heating/cooling and lighting.
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