How To Build A Greener Ecommerce Site
If you run an eCommerce business and haven’t started looking at how you can go green, you are not only damaging the environment, but you are probably also wasting loads of money.
In this short article we look at some quick wins you can implement as an eCommerce business to go green and save dollars!
Use Smarter Packaging Materials
There’s a lot of packaging involved in eCommerce.
This includes boxes, bubble wrap, tape, paper, plastic, and often other things as well. It might not seem like much on an individual basis. However, when you look at the eCommerce picture as a whole, the impact looks greater.
In North America, there was an average of 19 online orders per person in 2016. That’s a lot of packaging. Here are a few ways to incorporate smarter packaging:
- Use biodegradable materials whenever they’re available.
- Offer packaging that can be repurposed—such as a reusable bag.
- Don’t mix types of plastic that might not be recyclable in some areas.
Don’t Over-Pack Items
Packaging isn’t just about type of material.
You should also ensure you’re not using too much material when you prepare items for shipment. There’s no reason to use a large box to ship a small item. This is wasteful in terms of materials and your own costs.
Use the smallest containers possible that will still keep your products safe while in transit.
Do Paperless Administrative Work
It doesn’t matter if you’re a one-person operation or a sprawling eCommerce provider, you will have paperwork. Taxes, payroll, and accounting all need to be done in an organized fashion.
Aim to go paperless with your administrative work. Even if you prefer the feel of physical records, resist the urge to use that extra paper.
It’s much friendlier to the environment to do all that work on the computer. This is particularly conducive to running a cloud ecommerce store, as your business is already online. Additionally, many platforms have tools built in that make it easier to complete these tasks without using extra resources.
Don’t Sell Disposable Goods
Logistics isn’t the only place you can go greener with your eCommerce store. Think about the composition of your inventory. Are you selling goods designed to be used once and thrown away? You should consider this if you want to do your part by developing a greener online presence.
Determine if you can redesign any of your products so they can be reused. Maybe the packaging of your product itself could be made less wasteful? These are all things to think about when formulating a green strategy.
Tell Customers How to Recycle Packaging
Not everyone will know how to recycle packaging. This might seem intuitive to someone who recycles on a regular basis; but don’t make any assumptions.
Further, making an effort to explain the importance of proper disposal methods can influence consumers to make the right choice.
Look for Other Eco-Friendly Options
If you care about the environment, you should be constantly looking for ways to lessen your store’s impact. There are a few ways to go about this.
It’s prudent to do continual research on best practices for shipping and packaging goods. We live in a time of rapid change. Staying at the forefront of industry trends will help you help the Earth.
It’s important for ecommerce store owners to make an effort to be eco-friendly. Learning how to build a greener ecommerce site will eliminate lot of unnecessary waste. This is good for people and the planet alike.
About the Author Staff Writer
Our writers come from all over the world, but one thing unites them - their passion for sustainability.