Top 3 recommendations for sustainable shipping of your e-commerce orders

Sustainability is more than just another trend. It has become a key factor in how businesses operate.  

With 73% of consumers, according to a report by Nielsen, saying they will change their consumption habits to reduce their environmental impact, they expect a sustainable approach from the businesses they purchase from.

The impact of shipping of e-com orders is very visible to consumers – but luckily it is also an area where you have the possibility to greatly reduce your impact, and give your customers sustainable choices.

Three recommendations to consider:

1. Use a mix of carriers

With a multi-carrier model (potentially using a carrier aggregator), you and your customers can prioritise sustainable options, depending on the journey the package has to make – for example to use e-bike carriers in cities, or offering carbon offsetting for international shipping.  

2. Ship efficiently

Ship from the closest in-stock location to the customer – which could be a store from which a parcel can be delivered on a bike, or the nearest DC. Minimise split shipments to reduce the number of separate deliveries to a single address.

3. Reduce the number of delivery journeys

Incentivise store pickups and delivery to pick-up points, and use your store replenishment process to take e-com parcels to the stores

Would you like to find out how to be more sustainable in your business? Contact Emma Dijkstra, Expert Lead Order Management at Emakina.NL.