{"id":44617,"date":"2022-04-08T09:50:10","date_gmt":"2022-04-08T14:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shipstation.com\/?p=44617"},"modified":"2022-04-08T09:50:12","modified_gmt":"2022-04-08T14:50:12","slug":"eco-friendly-shipping-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shipstation.com\/blog\/eco-friendly-shipping-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Eco-Friendly Shipping Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ecommerce has the capacity to make our shopping habits greener. When we have items delivered to us instead of us driving around to stores, it minimizes our carbon footprint. With the omnipresence of ecommerce, you may end up getting a different package delivered every day. Sometimes multiple packages a day! During lockdown with people shopping from home\u2014 sometimes just for the cheap thrill of tracking a package to open a little present you bought yourself\u2014the decreased automobile traffic did cut carbon emissions<\/a>. While this has since rebounded, there are still steps merchants and customers can take to help to make more eco-friendly shipping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eco-Friendly Shipping Supplies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first step you can take as a merchant is to purchase more sustainable, eco-friendly shipping supplies. These materials are now very common and affordable. Furthermore, many consumers are more willing to pay more for sustainability. 60% of consumers<\/a> consider it a major purchasing factor. So, even if your products are not made of recycled materials,  offering sustainable shipping options could be an upsell that customers are willing to make. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use Recycled Packaging and Shipping Boxes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The easiest option is to use recycled shipping boxes and packaging. Companies like Amazon are pledging to reduce wastes on their packaging. So, if this does become noticeable, it will be another trend that the rest of ecommerce merchants need to follow. So, when it comes to finding affordable and recyclable packaging, there are many options<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use Biodegradable Packing Materials<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sustainable packaging shouldn\u2019t just be limited to packaging. In fact the internal packing materials of a shipping box make more sense to be recyclable. Afterall, people may re-use a box, but packing peanuts or void fill have a hard time being repurposed. Well, apart from popping bubble wrap. Luckily voidfill products can be sustainable<\/a> and pleasing on the eye. This can be an elevated unboxing experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use Polymailers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Polymailers are a great sustainable and economical choice for merchants. Though they typically get charged in the same pricing structure as packages instead of envelopes, they help to save money, conserve space, and utilize recyclable materials. There are many places to buy polymailers<\/a> and you can even get flat rate mailers from the USPS. Just be sure that you don\u2019t pack anything too fragile in them. Generally speaking, they work best for clothing or items in hard plastic packaging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eco-Friendly Logistics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Use Consolidation Services <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Consolidation services like GlobalPost offer many types of ways to affordably and economically send multiple packages together to save on sorting time and help save space. There are four different types of consolidation services for GlobalPost SmartSaver available<\/a> for qualified shippers including ship-in, container labels, pickup, and drop-off: <\/p>\n\n\n\n