Sustainability has become a key factor in consumer decision-making, who are increasingly looking for alternatives to reduce their impact on the environment. This is also a reality in the e-commerce sector, where 69% of regular consumers expect brands and manufacturers to be more sustainable, and 41% would be willing to pay more for services or products that take into account The environment counts, according to data from Seur's E-Shopper Barometer 2021.

“Sustainability currently plays an important role in the consumer purchasing process, whether online or in person, and over the next few years it will be increasingly present in customer purchasing decisions. For this reason, it is vital that e-commerce begin to take measures to reduce their impact on the environment while maintaining their sales pace,” says Roi Elizondo, Vice President of Strategic Alliances at Hubo.

The concern for the sustainability policies implemented by companies and the actions taken to reduce the impact on the environment have become drivers for consumers when choosing one ecommerce or another, according to the 2022 ECommerce Annual Study of the IAB. In this context, Hubo, one of the UK's fastest growing fulfillment providers, highlights 5 ways e-commerce can be more sustainable.

Tips to be more sustainable
Use of ecological packaging
The packaging of products purchased through ecommerce is one of the main challenges to be overcome by merchants. Despite this, according to data from the Association of Manufacturers and Distributors (AECOC), 80% of the environmental impact generated by e-commerce packaging can be reduced in the design phase with an appropriate and sustainable model for packaging. That is why it is essential for e-commerce companies to commit to changing the packaging model they currently use to ship their products and look for more sustainable alternatives that will not only help the planet, but will also reduce the amount of packaging used in each shipment.

Delivery with electric and hybrid vehicles
The complete transition to electric and ECO vehicles will be a reality in the coming years. But on the other hand, the increase in electronic commerce in recent years has led to a significant increase in the transport of products around the world and this trend seems set to continue in the coming years. Statista forecasts that by 2030 delivery vehicles will increase to 7.2 million and this will cause emissions to increase to 25 million tons of CO2. For this reason, electronic businesses must look for alternatives when it comes to delivering their products, betting on electric and ECO vehicles in their fleet and optimizing delivery routes to pollute as little as possible.

Zero Waste Policy
One of the main challenges in the sector today is the management of products and waste generated, mainly due to the wide variety of products that exist on the market and that, consequently, must be managed in a practically individualized way. To prevent waste from being created, one of the main solutions is to donate to a suitable charitable cause that can resell the goods for the benefit of the NGO. In the event that products are suitable for use but not for resale by an NGO, these can be offered as donations or gifts to staff or other worthwhile local causes, thus avoiding product waste.

Optimal energy utilization
Over the last year, the general rise in energy prices has affected consumers and businesses alike. In the case of ecommerce, it has meant that the main companies in the sector redouble their commitment to the use of clean and sustainable energy. Thus, Amazon has set itself the goal that all its operations use 100% renewable energy in 2025 through a series of measures. But not all e-businesses have the funds to match that goal. That is why small measures, such as the installation of solar panels in logistics centers, can help ecommerce companies to optimize their use of energy and reduce their carbon footprint.

Reduced use of paper
Despite the fact that plastic containers are the most polluting and in 2019 Spain generated 9.8 million kilos of them, according to Statista data, that same year more than 3.3 million tons of corrugated cardboard were produced for the sector , which represents more than half of the national production of paper and cardboard. Taking this data into account, it is essential that e-commerce not only use recycled packaging, but also optimize it and significantly reduce the amount of paper and cardboard used in each product shipment. The reduction in its use can also be applied to the daily operations of the company by eliminating the use of paper through the digitization of processes.