Over a quarter (26 per cent) of UK consumers said they do not care about eco-friendly delivery options when shopping online, according to a new report. Less than half said that environmental impact of online deliveries was an important aspect when shopping online – a small decrease from 53 per cent in 2020.
The survey, commissioned Sendcloud found that even fewer consumers believe the rise of online shopping is a problem for the environment, down to 53 per cent in 2021 compared to 57 per cent in 2020.
Sustainability in eCommerce is coming under the microscope again, with the UK Government recently issuing advice on how to tackle climate change ahead of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow on 31 October to 12 November.
The growth in eCommerce has seen giants such as Amazon emit nearly as much carbon dioxide as a small country, while an Accenture, Frontier Economics predicts a 32 per cent increase in carbon emissions from urban delivery traffic by 2030.
Yet consumers are still prioritising purchases over the environment, as although 48 per cent said they prefer green delivery options at checkout, the lack of a green delivery option at checkout would only prevent 7 per cent of consumers from making a purchase.
And it’s not just CO2 emissions that’s the problem. Three quarters (75 per cent) of consumers surveyed believe stores use too much packaging, while 8 out of 10 (80 per cent) believe delivery packaging should be fully recyclable.
11 per cent would choose green delivery but only if it didn’t increase the cost, while just 15 per cent said they would shop elsewhere if it didn’t offer sustainable delivery options.
“We have a chicken and egg scenario in eCommerce right now, as online retailers can only supply green delivery options if consumers themselves also want to contribute. This means we all have to become more flexible, increase investment in greener deliveries, and be patient with shipping times if we are to make a difference,” says Rob van den Heuvel, CEO and co-founder at Sendcloud.
“Better education into the effects eCommerce and delivery has on the environment is needed, as it’s unlikely consumers will continue to operate in this way if they understand the consequences of their actions. Although retailers are working with shipping providers to provide more eco-friendly services, such as electric vans and CO2-neutral deliveries, and the cost and time taken to provide green delivery is improving, it will take a concerted effort from all of us to change the planet for the better.”
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