Hurray – shopping online is sustainable however…..

Hallelujah!!! Online shopping is sustainable – I was ecstatic when I read this as so much our sustainable journey has involved change and feeling guilt ridden about what we were doing. However my joy was tempered with the realisation that it wasn’t that simple. My habit of going (usually driving) into a “bricks and mortar” shop to check out the item – touch it, see the colour etc and then going online, buying it on a speedy delivery option then not being at home when it was delivered then going somewhere else to pick it up eg. Royal Mail at Plymstock was actually VERY unenvironmentally friendly – groan!!!

My method of  shopping is called “showrooming” and surprise, surprise it is bad on a number of levels:

• For the retailer – wear and tear on the goods in store
• For the environment – increased number of short car journeys
• For the oceans – increased amount of packaging used (not so bad now as companies like Amazon are making changes).

After reading around this subject here are the new ways I am going to do our online shopping to make sure we are sustainable:

• Make sure I nominate a neighbour for delivery (the lovely Alan) or ask them to put over back gate
• Don’t go for quick delivery option and bundle things together for joint delivery
• Go for reduced packaging option
• Try to avoid temptation to make a special trip to look at something in a shop and if I really have to I will walk there and won’t touch!
• Research company online to make sure it is ethical sourcing and treating workers well
• Think twice before I buy anything – do I really need it now?