Last week, Black Friday marked the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Following Black Friday, many online retailers present consumers with sales that only snowball into the winter holidays. Holiday shopping leverages the concept of scarcity to foster a sense of urgency–compelling consumers to shop without being environmentally conscious. A study conducted by the University of Leeds found that up to 80% of Black Friday purchases end up in landfills, indicating that many purchases made during the holiday season are of low importance. With the gradual shift towards digitalization across various shopping platforms, the culture of online shopping has become widely accepted due to convenience–but this is not without implications for our environment and oceans.
A MIT study revealed that traditional shopping methods had two times the carbon footprint relative to online shopping as one vehicle delivering a large quantity of products is less environmentally-taxing than a large number of individuals driving to a store. Despite the MIT study suggesting that online shopping has fewer environmental consequences when taking rushed orders into consideration, the negatives of online shopping ultimately outweigh the positives. This is because companies must send out trucks at half-capacity to fulfill orders placed within a one or two-day window. In conjunction with the clothing industry which relies heavily on poor-quality materials such as polyester, acrylic, and nylon, the use of these synthetic materials increases the quantity of non-biodegradable waste that ends up in landfills in addition to being a large contributor to plastic pollution in oceans. When clothing garments made of synthetic materials are washed, small fibres–microplastics–are released, travelling through various bodies of water until they infiltrate our oceans. It’s been estimated that over 75% of ocean creatures have ingested microplastics, potentially acting as carriers of environmental toxins that can end up in our food in addition to affecting marine life.
Although the future revolving around reversing the damage we have inflicted upon the environment seems bleak, there are many small precautions that can be taken to minimize our carbon footprint and better protect the earth’s oceans! Here are some small steps and things to consider the next time you shop online as recommended by David Suzuki:
Prioritize replacing over supplementing - online shopping can be used to replace shopping in person; this allows for vehicle trips to be saved, thereby minimizing carbon footprint.
Plan out your shopping in advance - Companies like Amazon and Walmart that provide the option for instant delivery do not have the luxury of allocating one vehicle to fulfill multiple orders. Consequently, a higher environmental price is associated with rushed orders as ensuring fast deliveries may involve the use of airplanes, which can increase carbon emissions. Prioritizing local businesses and products in addition to making multiple purchases at once allows for fewer emissions.
Minimize packaging - Packaging acts as a large source of single-use plastic as it often ends up in landfills once it has served its purpose. Selecting the option for your purchases to be packaged in a single box or opting for recyclable packaging is a simple solution to this issue.
Reduce returns and exchanges where possible - Online shopping corresponds to an increase in returns and exchanges of products. An increase in unnecessary product returns and exchanges requires companies to re-ship the products to the original distribution centre or store, therefore generating more carbon emissions and packaging. A solution to this issue is reading product descriptions and reviews thoroughly, as this allows you to gain a greater understanding of whether or not the product is right for you.
Reduce overconsumption - The convenience associated with online shopping is perhaps the greatest contributor to overconsumption. Following social media trends in addition to the anticipation of a package delivery can result in individuals making online purchases merely for the sake of instant gratification. Thinking more critically before you make a purchase and organizing your shopping into lists are great ways to ensure you’re only buying what you need.
Consider the disposability of products - Online shopping perpetuates a cycle of buying, replacing, and waste. Dismantling the normality of single-use products and the casual disposal of products can play a role in reducing the depletion of resources. Simply purchasing products with the longevity of the product in mind or finding alternatives to single-use products (floss, face masks, plastic straws, etc.) can help decrease waste overall.
With the prevalence of online shopping in today’s society, there are many small changes that we can make to decrease our impact on the environment this holiday season. By making small changes to our online shopping habits, we can minimize the many negative consequences associated with online shopping habits this holiday season and do our part in protecting our oceans!