Ecommerce and sustainability are two words you don’t normally see in the same sentence. But if we are to fix the climate crisis, then this must change.
Year on year, ecommerce sales continue to rise. Statista reports that by 2026, global ecommerce sales will reach $8.1 trillion, up from $1.3 trillion in 2014. Therefore, implementing sustainability is an opportunity no business can afford to miss, given how much we all shop online these days.
If your business has any involvement in the ecommerce supply chain, then here are just 5 ways you can reduce your carbon emissions to create a more sustainable business model.
A Focus On Products That Are Built To Last
It’s a sad fact that things, whether they be clothes, furniture or even our homes aren’t built with the care and attention of the past. Instead, we live in a fast fashion world, where even our TVs only have 1-year guarantees.
Something that all ecommerce business owners can do to change this, is ensure their products are built with quality and longevity in mind. While this may mean your prices are not as competitive, ultimately it will lead to a better customer experience, all while reducing your carbon emissions as a business.
It’s also helpful to explain to customers why you’re not the cheapest, instead of skirting around the issue if longevity and sustainability are key aims. An increasing number of consumers are wanting to make greener choices, making sustainability more of a perk than ever before.
Reusable Packaging
Did you know that 95% of all cosmetics packaging will be thrown away? The British Beauty Council reports that beauty packaging can take 450 years to break down in landfill.
L’Occitane is one such brand who have introduced reusable packaging within its product lines. Once customers purchase the original hand wash or shower bottle, they can then purchase refill sachets, instead of having to keep buying new bottles. All of this packaging is also recyclable, for whenever it does reach the end of its lifecycle.
Beyond the beauty industry, we’d like to see more companies think about how they can reduce their packaging, and introduce refillable or reusable alternatives where no more reductions can be made of the use of natural resources.
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Ability To Trade In Products Which Would Otherwise End Up In Landfill
At some point, your washing machine will pack up and your sofa will have seen its best days. The trouble is, unlike food packaging or even old newspapers, bulkier items aren’t so easy to place in the recycling bin.
Currys PC World has a trade-in scheme for electrical appliances, helping to combat the issue. Furthermore, such schemes also reduce the likelihood of fly-tipping. Sadly, even when consumers order what they think is a reputable collection of their old waste, items are often fly-tipped. Even when items do make it to landfill, they aren’t being reused or repurposed.
In their email, we also like how Currys PC World has highlighted which products have greener credentials so that shoppers can make informed choices and reduce their impact on the environment.
Sustainable Email Marketing
There isn’t a business in existence that doesn’t rely on email in some form or another. Email marketing and ecommerce have always been a solid partnership, seen as email offers a typical ROI of $36 for every $1 spent.
But did you know that every email emits between 4g and 50g of carbon, depending on its weight? With over 300 billion emails sent per day that soon adds up.
One easy switch all ecommerce businesses can make is to use a sustainable email marketing platform. Here at GoSquared, we’ve recently developed our own called EcoSend.
Scroll to the end of this post if you’d like to switch today. We offer a free plan, with our cheapest paid plan starting at $49 per month.
We’ll even plant a tree on your behalf just for signing up!
Eco-Friendly Delivery Options
We’ve all become accustomed to next day delivery. Often, quicker delivery is a perk of spending a particular amount with a brand. But in reality, do we really need our online purchases sent to us at the speed of light? In the vast majority of cases, no we don’t.
Of course, shopping in person, especially if you can walk to the store is the greenest of all options. But when you don’t live near the store, the ability to opt for an eco-friendly delivery option is the next best thing.
Cult Beauty is leading the pack here, allowing you to select ‘Eco Delivery’ methods which emit less carbon rather than focusing on speed. We’d definitely like to see some of the high street beauty retailers such as Boots or Superdrug follow suit.
Reduce Your Carbon Emissions With EcoSend By GoSquared
With ecommerce consisting of so many carbon generating aspects, every effort must be taken to reduce your business’s impact on the environment. Your email marketing is no exception.
Switch to EcoSend by GoSquared today and begin the journey to becoming a more sustainable business. EcoSend is packed with all the tools you need to send intuitive campaigns. So instead of sending a campaign to everyone, you can segment your audiences to send the right message to the right person at the right time.
Plus, EcoSend runs on renewable energy, and plants trees on your behalf. As a company, we’re also inventing our profits back into climate-conscious causes. This is just the start of our commitment to reducing carbon emissions through email marketing, and we invite you onboard to join us. All you have to do is select your EcoSend plan to get started.
Have any questions about EcoSend, including how it can help your business reach its email marketing goals? Or want to learn more about the efforts we’ve taken to build a sustainable marketing tool?
Get in touch and our team will be right with you.
