A recent phenomenon of modern societies is online shopping, with conflicting views on whether it makes any difference to the environment, especially regarding carbon footprint. One idea claims that purchasing goods online is actually better for the environment.
Advocates of this believe that the limited trips to the physical stores using vehicles means that carbon dioxide emission is reduced. Hardly does distributing goods to various locations in certain neighbourhoods using the efficient delivery route release as much gas emission as each member of those neighbourhoods making a round trip to the stores using their personal vehicles. In countries where cars are highly used for the purpose of shopping, like in the U. S and in the U. K, e-commerce method is a greener choice.
However, there are some opposite aspects that are not considered. Firstly, frequent online purchases produce more packaging waste, and online items tend to come from different distribution centres, both of which result in higher environmental pollution per item. Secondly, barely do people buy a lot of items per purchase, which further increases the number of to-and-fro trips and carbon footprint, as well as packagings. Although most shopping trips are made by car in the U. S and U. K, in countries where shopping on foot or by bike are prevalent, such as China or a number of European countries, online shopping will certainly not reduce greenhouse gas compared to going to physical stores.
From a personal perspective, if people want to reduce the harm of carbon footprint, purchasing a large number of products from one distribution centre, which is equivalent to the lowered number of trips, is beneficial. Another way to protect the air from CO2 is by avoiding failed delivery that results in unnecessary trips from the warehouse.
In conclusion, online shopping is neither bad nor good inherently. Instead, it is the consumer awareness that we should enhance to achieve the environmental protection that is needed.
A recent phenomenon of modern societies is
online
shopping
, with conflicting views on whether it
makes
any difference to the environment,
especially
regarding
carbon
footprint. One
idea
claims that purchasing
goods
online
is actually better for the environment.
Advocates of this
believe
that the limited
trips
to the physical stores using vehicles means that
carbon
dioxide emission is
reduced
. Hardly does
distributing
goods
to various locations in certain
neighbourhoods
using the efficient delivery route release as much gas emission as each member of those
neighbourhoods
making a round
trip
to the stores using their personal vehicles. In countries where cars are
highly
used
for the purpose of
shopping
, like in the U. S and in the U. K, e-commerce method is a greener choice.
However
, there are
some
opposite aspects that are not considered.
Firstly
, frequent
online
purchases
produce more packaging waste, and
online
items tend to
come
from
different
distribution
centres
, both of which result in higher environmental pollution per item.
Secondly
,
barely
do
people
buy
a lot of
items per
purchase
, which
further
increases the
number
of to-and-fro
trips
and
carbon
footprint,
as well
as
packagings
. Although most
shopping
trips
are made
by car in the U. S and U. K, in countries where
shopping
on foot or by bike are prevalent, such as China or a
number
of European countries,
online
shopping
will
certainly
not
reduce
greenhouse gas compared to going to physical stores.
From a personal perspective, if
people
want to
reduce
the harm of
carbon
footprint, purchasing a large
number
of products from one distribution
centre
, which is equivalent to the lowered
number
of
trips
, is beneficial. Another way to protect the air from CO2 is by avoiding failed delivery that results in unnecessary
trips
from the warehouse.
In conclusion
,
online
shopping
is neither
bad
nor
good
inherently
.
Instead
, it is the consumer awareness that we should enhance to achieve the environmental protection that
is needed
.