New Year, Greener E-commerce?
Here's how to make online shopping more sustainable for your customers and business 👉
Last week we unpacked the reasons why online shopping can be damaging to our environment and communities. Not only is it contributing to a vast increase in plastic packaging, huge quantities of waste from returns, and carbon emissions from transport, but it also is changing the dynamic of our communities and consumer behaviour altogether.
This week we’ve looked into the solutions, so if you’re feeling inspired to make some changes to your current e-commerce strategy look no further.
Packaging
Reusable packaging
From Primark’s viral Christmas wrapping paper bags to the rise of refillable deodorants and shower gel bottles, brands are exploring the potential of reusable packaging. Companies such as Loop and Repack even enable customers to return their packaging so they can be reused for future orders.
Y.O.U underwear is made from Fairtrade and GOTS-certified organic cotton and is packaged in reusable organic cotton bags. M&S offer beauty hampers in cotton bags that can be reused as storage boxes or plant pot covers. You could also wrap products in fabric that can be reused as cleaning cloths or gift wraps for other occasions like Christmas and birthdays.
If you’re thinking of using cotton bags, please motivate customers to reuse them; cotton tote bags need to be used at least 131 times to be more environmentally friendly than plastic bags according to a study by EA (2006).
Organic and fully recyclable packaging options
Environmentally damaging materials are being replaced with bioplastics and renewably sourced materials like cotton, rice husks, corn, and fruit. Water-soluble packaging - made from a blend of polymers sourced from plants and marine materials - can dissolve within hours. There are also edible and plantable options for the adventurous amongst you. But you can start small: even replacing plastic padding with paper padding can make a huge difference.
Reduced packaging
Along with reusable materials, one way to reduce packaging is to avoid over-packing. In fact, 19% of consumers have reported feeling dissatisfied with a brand service due to packaging overkill. By limiting over-packing - for instance by using smaller containers - you will not only be protecting your profits, but reducing wastage.
Rothy - a sustainable footwear company, designed its packaging with a logical approach to help reduce waste in its shipping and packaging practices. “Rather than shipping a box within a box, our shoeboxes are the vehicle for both shipping and returns,” Lauren says. Rothy’s vegan, biodegradable boxes are made from 85% post-consumer recycled materials.
Mail-back boxes
Another option for small businesses that may need to mail more delicate objects is a mail-back option - where the items are shipped in a sturdy, safe container and then returned after delivery and reused again, with a refund offered to customers that do return it.
Shipping and Fulfilment
Last-mile delivery
The costs of last-mile delivery costs account for 53% of the total cost of shipping, and up to 41% of the total supply chain costs. It’s also the most carbon-intensive part of delivery, so its worth looking into the process.
As the final phase in a product’s delivery, the journey from a transportation hub to a house or retail store is a great opportunity to consider sustainable e-commerce. Route optimization can eliminate miles from your supply network to reduce carbon emissions. If you plan and optimize the sequence of stops for vehicles and drivers in a delivery fleet, and take traffic and weather into account, emissions will lower.
Ensuring that you have the delivery details correct is also important to improve first-attempt delivery rates - multiple attempts can increase the carbon footprint of the delivery attempt if the address or any details are incorrect. Allowing customers to indicate special delivery instructions or alternatives if they’re out will also help.
Last-mile delivery technology can also save information to help deliver packages to confusing addresses for any future customer orders.
Micro-fulfillment centers are another option for helping to make last-mile delivery easier. According to research by Accenture, last-mile supply chain emissions can be reduced by up to 26% through 2025 through the use of local fulfillment centers.
Drop-off lockers or click-and-collect can also be an eco-friendly solution, as they consolidate multiple deliveries into one location.
Avoiding split deliveries
While split deliveries are on the rise - increasing by around 27% since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic - they can have a negative impact on the environment. Increased packaging and fuel consumption could derail your sustainability progress. By combining orders, or giving customers the option to, you could be saving yourself money and eco-guilt. Logistical technologies, including AI and automation software, can assist with this.
Local delivery
If feasible for your business, you could consider local bicycle couriers. Low-impact cargo bikes can ensure a carbon-neutral delivery service. Electric bicycles and vans powered by sustainable energy are another great alternative for reducing air pollution.
There are more ways you can green your e-commerce which we will be unpacking in the upcoming weeks.
Innovation of the week


Online shopping is becoming increasingly popular, with Forbes expecting 24% of all retail purchases to be placed online by 2026.
Moreover, 75% of sustainable goods sell better online than in-store (The Roundup, 2023).
However, e-commerce can have a negative impact on our planet if not implemented consciously. Not only can it increase carbon emissions through transportation and packaging, but it also contributes to increased waste from returned products.
The average return rate for ecommerce is 20% to 30% - and many of this goes to landfill. Each year, 5 billion pounds of waste is generated through returns.
To tackle this, many startups are looking into ways to help consumers feel happier about their purchase so they are less likely to return them.
True Fit are using AI to make it easier for shoppers to know their correct size, to help “boost conversion, reduce returns and grow profitability”.
Member Spotlight
Roel Schatorjé
MOYU started with a great vision but a small product. I learned that in just four years of being in business, so much can happen. In 2023 all of the huge ideas that we had from the beginning just started coming to life. So if you work step by step on your dreams, you can accomplish great things faster than you expect.
📔 What is the most valuable lesson you've learned in 2023? 📔
MOYU started with a great vision but a small product. I learned that in just four years of being in business, so much can happen. In 2023 all of the huge ideas that we had from the beginning just started coming to life. So if you work step by step on your dreams, you can accomplish great things faster than you expect.
✏️ What do you think is going to be big in 2024? ✏️
We are from the Netherlands and I think what's going to be big is sustainability. It's now mandatory for companies to report on their CO2 footprint, which means we are moving from a nice-to-have sustainability goal to a must-have. I think this will create a big shift from companies that are greenwashing into actually doing good.
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That’s all for this week! Time to relax for the holiday’s now. We’'ll be back with another newsletter in the new year.
Merry Christmas to those who are celebrating it, and Happy New Year!
The WONDR Team