UK consumers are willing to compromise on online purchases and delivery demands, but only if it creates a more sustainable environment, according to new data.
Two-thirds are willing to wait longer for online deliveries if it results in less CO2 emissions, while 61 per cent already prefer to order locally in order to reduce their carbon footprint.
62 per cent would opt for home delivery alternatives if the online retailer provided more info on its emissions. Seven out of 10 believed there should be a trustmark or quality assurance for delivery emissions transparency.
64 per cent who said they would be willing to pick up a parcel themselves if it made the delivery process more sustainable, with one in five willing to walk up to 5km to collect parcels.
The survey of 1,000 UK consumers, released by eCommerce shipping platform Sendcloud, also found 43 per cent of consumers feel guilty about the environment when ordering online – 48 per cent when ordering items outside of Europe.
An overwhelming majority (94 per cent) said sustainability is an important factor to them when shopping online.
The findings are backed up by a similar report which found 57 per cent of UK online shoppers think the rise of online shopping is a problem for the environment.
“These findings show that consumers understand the environmental impact of their purchases, and are willing to take drastic steps in order to create a more sustainable industry,” said Rob van den Heuvel, CEO and Co-founder at Sendcloud.
“Although there is still a lot of work to be done, we are slowly but surely going green. Deliveries by electric vehicles and bicycles are taking place in parts of the UK now, and technology that provides consumers with exact times of delivery and more flexible options is almost commonplace. By clearly communicating the environmental impact of delivery options in the checkout, retailers can give consumers the final push to choose green over fast and free delivery.”
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