The Environmental Impact of E-commerce Deliveries: Transportation and Packaging 🚛📦🌊
The Environmental Impact of E-commerce Deliveries
Online shopping has become part of our daily lives. With just a few clicks, we can receive products at home quickly and conveniently. But have you ever stopped to think about the environmental impact behind each delivery?
While e-commerce makes things easier for consumers, it also has a number of worrying environmental consequences. It is estimated that by 2030, package and cargo deliveries around the world will emit around 25 million tons of CO₂ . In this post, we will explore the main culprits behind these emissions — and how it is possible to minimize this impact.
Packaging: Much More Than Cardboard
Packaging production consumes natural resources on a large scale. Water, energy, wood and even chemicals are used to manufacture boxes, bags and plastics used in deliveries.
According to environmental organization Canopy , approximately 3 billion trees are cut down every year just to make cardboard shipping boxes. In addition to deforestation, this process damages natural habitats and reduces the forests' ability to capture carbon.
And the problem doesn’t stop there: of the 86 million tons of plastic packaging produced annually, less than 14% is recycled . The rest usually ends up in landfills, generating methane — a greenhouse gas even more potent than CO₂ .
Transport: Faster Deliveries, Higher Emissions
With the rise of e-commerce, the demand for fast deliveries — often within one or two days — has also grown. To meet this expectation, companies are making more trips with fewer packages per vehicle, which leads to higher fuel consumption and increased emissions.
A global study shows that by 2030, the number of delivery vehicles in cities is expected to increase by 36% , resulting in an additional 6 million tons of CO₂ being released into the atmosphere. This pollution not only worsens the climate crisis, but also compromises air quality and the health of urban populations.
The Life Cycle of a Cardboard Box
Have you ever thought about everything that happens before and after using a simple cardboard box? Here are the main steps:
🪵 1. Wood extraction
The raw material comes from trees, and deforestation compromises entire ecosystems and contributes to global warming.
⚙️ 2. Manufacturing
The process involves large amounts of water, energy and chemicals, resulting in pollution and the emission of harmful gases.
🚛 3. Transportation
After manufacturing, the boxes are transported over long distances, further increasing the carbon footprint.
🗑️ 4. Disposal
Despite being biodegradable, improperly disposed cardboard can generate methane in landfills. Recycling is better, but it also has environmental costs.
How to Reduce the Impact?
Fortunately, both consumers and businesses can adopt more sustainable practices. Here are some suggestions:
✅ Choose slower, more sustainable deliveries : Opt for options that consolidate multiple orders into a single shipment.
♻️ Reuse packaging whenever possible .
📦 Support brands that use recyclable packaging and green logistics . (Choose our collaborative Eco Shipping deliveries!) 🌴🌊🪸🐠
🧭 Companies must invest in optimized routes and transport alternatives with lower emissions.
Conclusion
The convenience of online shopping is here to stay. But that doesn’t mean we should ignore its effects on the planet. Understanding the environmental impact of e-commerce deliveries is the first step to making more conscious choices — and pressuring companies to adopt more responsible practices.
The good news is that small actions can make a big difference. After all, convenience and sustainability don’t have to be opposites.
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