Online shopping involves packaging, shipping, the costs of running servers and offices for the people that facilitate online stores, and we are buying more online than ever before. While all these elements can be small on their own, they add up to have a significant environmental impact. Here are four ways that you can start to reduce your online carbon footprint.
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#1 Buy quality products that last longer
This cycle of buying, throwing away, and replacing, is a huge contributor to the carbon footprint of online shopping and the growing waste problem our world faces. When you buy higher quality products, less frequently, it also allows you to bundle orders together and save on packaging and shipping costs. Oftentimes, the difference between something that works and something you enjoy just means spending time doing a bit more research and choosing a purchase on factors more than just the lowest price.
#2 Reduce impulse purchases that will probably end up being thrown away
Doing research on what the best product to buy to fit a specific need that you have also helps build a habit of making informed and intentional purchasing decisions instead of just buying the cheapest and most convenient option. Impulse purchases are rarely the best option and they rarely end up working out as well as we think they will. Buying less puts a very large dent in the online carbon footprint that we create. The less we buy, the less carbon is being created and released into the environment, and that’s great for everyone in the long run.
#3 Purchase from brands that practice sustainability whenever possible
As an added bonus, many companies that fit into this category also make high quality products that will last much longer than cheap ones and will be much more enjoyable to use. It always feels better to purchase from a company that cares about what they make and how they make it, instead of just buying something was created purely to make money with as little effort as possible. Brands like CoalaTree Organics, Hydro Flask, and Nomadik all make high quality products with a minimal impact on the environment.
#4 Download the EcoCart Chrome Extension to make your online orders carbon neutral
By adding the EcoCart chrome extension to your browser, every time you make a purchase online, you can easily help to offset your carbon footprint for that order. All you have to do is shop how you normally would, and whenever you’re on a participating website, click “Make My Order Carbon Neutral” on the EcoCart popup and you’re done!
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EcoCart will do the rest of the work for you (for free!) and you can rest easy knowing that you’re doing your part to offset your online carbon footprint. EcoCart will donate to different carbon offset projects around the world, that help reduce your online carbon footprint at no extra cost to you. You can also browse for participating online stores through the Chrome extension and find new brands and stores that you can shop at while also reducing your online carbon footprint.
Small steps add up to big change!
Reducing your carbon footprint can often feel like an overwhelming task, especially with intangible climate change contributors like online shopping. It often seems like it takes too much time, costs too much money, and probably won’t make that big of a difference in the long run.
However, the way that we start creating sustainable habits in our lives is by making the small easy steps that add up to start creating a meaningful difference in the world. We can encourage friends and family to join the carbon neutral movement using tools like EcoCart that take the work and frustration out of reducing our online carbon footprints.
