How can you actually store online sustainably and place orders in the most environmentally friendly way possible? It's clear: the most sustainable product is of course the one that isn't bought in the first place. And before buying a new one, you should first repair the old one and use it for as long as possible. reuse.
However, online purchases cannot always be avoided. Sometimes you don't have the time, are in poor health or simply don't feel like making the trip to the nearest store.
But whether consciously or unconsciously: in the end, CO2 is emitted for every delivery. A greenhouse gas that the global warming has intensified. Fortunately, there are still ways and means to make shopping as environmentally friendly as possible despite delivery by post.
In this article, I'm going to give you a big package of tips for sustainable online shopping. Use them to make a real difference. Let's go!
10 tips: How does sustainable online shopping work?
In our grandparents' day, orders were only possible with an extra form from a fat catalog. It's all much easier today and therefore also causes problems for the environment.
In addition to the delivery of goods, the Power for your own computer and for the servers that maintain the data on the Internet (see Sustainable surfing on the net) are very energy-intensive.
Here are the promised Tipsthat will help you to shop more environmentally consciously on the Internet.
1. buy from sustainable online stores
A nice example for one of meanwhile many sustainable online stores is AvocadoStore*! The people of Hamburg pay particular attention to plastic-free packagingclimate-friendly shipping and fair products.
The latter range from sustainable clothingfrom kitchen utensils to sports equipment. There really is everything. And the entire Company philosophy is geared towards sustainability.
Tips: If you like to use a search engine for your search for suitable products, you should get a sustainable search engine that you want to use in the future. With search queries at Ecosia.org for example, trees are planted and cool projects are promoted.
2. buy only things that you really need
Live minimalistdoes not mean giving up everything. It means, do without the things you don't need. That's a good thing, don't you think? After all, it's good for the environment and also save money in the long term.
So if you want to store sustainably online, that also means, to question your shopping cart again before clicking the "order now" button. Do I really need it? Or is it more of an impulse buy that doesn't really enrich me?
In many cases, an honest answer to this question will lead you to Money for really nice things in life save.
3. avoid plastic packaging
Everyone knows them: the orders placed on the Internet far too large boxes with far too much polystyrene and air cushion padding arrive home. Then, as a rule, there is a brief grumble and the same mistake is made again and again in the future.
To avoid future orders with too much Avoid plastic waste, you can, for example, make collective orders and do not order every single product, no matter how small, week after week.
This is also part of sustainable online shopping. In addition, there are more and more providers who are consciously Send plastic-free and as waste-free as possible.
Tip: If you have received a box, try to reuse it if possible. And if you no longer need it, fold it up and dispose of it in the blue garbage can. (see Separate waste correctly)
4. avoid returns already in advance
In the German online retail sector, a total of 315 million articles returned.1 This means a lot of double trips and unnecessarily used packaging material. In times of climate change, however, double CO2 emissions in particular must be viewed critically.
So if you want to shop sustainably online, you should consciously prevent returns. For example, if you store for clothes, then measure and read the notes on the sizes. Garments in particular often turn out differently and are therefore also returned particularly often. Don't be afraid to ask the respective online store before you place your order.
Tip: You can get even more inspiration in the article called Avoid returns.
5. have delivered to packing station or parcel store
If you want to order sustainably online, then delivery to a parcel store or Packstation is also worthwhile near your home. As parcel service providers can drop off or pick up many shipments at once, they save themselves the trip to each individual address. This allows them to work more efficiently and in a more climate-friendly way.
Positive side effect: It's also good for all the motorists on your street, because there won't be vans with flashing warning lights in the second row all the time.
6. one large order instead of many small ones
As already indicated, it is worthwhile for our environment if you Collective orders do. This means: collect a few things that you need before you order them all individually. That way as many as possible in one box and find their way to you with just a single delivery.
That's exactly how it makes sense, Bulk packs to order. Whether online or in your local shop - for example, if you know that you need more oatmeal anyway and it won't go bad so quickly, you can also order a larger pack.
Tip: In a separate article, you will also find countless tips on how to optimize your To make food last longer!
7. refrain from Amazon orders if possible
When you think of online shopping, you usually think of Amazon. But sustainable online shopping is what it is with such a global e-commerce giant of course not.
Finally many small bookstores and other stores cannot compete with it, why the city centers of many places are dying out.
8. buy items used on the internet
To avoid wasting natural resources unnecessarily on your online purchases, in many cases you can simply buy them second-hand. This works with Books and with Technology for example, very good - and also sorted out but still intact Clothing can bring a smile to the faces of others. (see also Slow Fashion)
A good place to go for used items is, for example, the online stores of rebuy* or also medimops*. And the app is suitable for garments Kleiderkreisel.
9. make sure the delivery is CO2 neutral
Many delivery services already operate CO2-neutral. However, the online store of your choice must play along and cooperate with them. DPD, for example, delivers goods in a climate-neutral way without charging extra. DHL also delivers in an environmentally friendly way.
Therefore, when ordering, make sure, for example, that the Online store cooperates with DHL GoGreen.
Also, do not choose express shipping for your online orders, unless it is absolutely necessary. This is because larger orders are often divided into several and this leads to several and above all not totally utilized courier trips.
Tip: To avoid unnecessarily long transport routes, you should also make sure that your orders come from the region. Then they can possibly reach you by courier bikes. (see also buy regionally)
10. if buying new, then durable products
With your purchases on the Internet, please do not support the Fast fashion industrywhich causes massive suffering and extreme environmental pollution. Instead, make sure that you only order goods on the internet that are really durable is.
A T-shirt for 5 euros can't be sustainable because someone has to sew it together for a few cents! And the shirt is usually washed out after just a few weeks, so you have to buy a new one. It is therefore better to opt for quality when ordering online - whether for sweaters, sustainable fitness equipment or wooden toothbrushes.
Do you have other tips for sustainable online ordering? Then just write me a comment with your ideas.
Ordering sustainably on the Internet is really easy!
I hope you've been able to take away some ideas and tips for shopping online in an environmentally friendly way in future and that you can use your Making consumption sustainable.
At least sustainableER. Because as I said, the most sustainable product is the one that isn't bought in the first place. Just try to take these tips to heart the next time you order online. Because they are really simple and can be implemented immediately.
"Don't think so often about what you lack, but about what you have.„
Marcus Aurelius (more at Minimalism Quotes)
Do you have any questions or your own experiences with sustainable online shopping? Then I look forward to your comment.
Stay environmentally conscious,
PS: Look you with pleasure still something in the Minimalism Blog around! There you will learn for example a few know superfluous things that nobody really needs these days.
Source reference:
- Neo Commerce GmbH: Return rate in online retail: How can I avoid returns?, available at https://resources.neocom.ai/de/retourenquote-im-onlinehandel-wie-kann-ich-retouren-vermeiden. [13.01.2024]. ↩︎
