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More and more eCommerce businesses are going green and they are trying to decrease their carbon footprint as much as possible. First and foremost, this improvement will have a huge effect on your business and your consumers! It also has a massive impact on the environment so we can deduce why it is so popular and so desirable at the moment.
One of the first and the biggest ways to make your eCommerce business green is to opt for online, internet selling. You completely eliminate a need for a store or a facility which will use non-renewable energy sources. When you move to the online realm, you also decrease your carbon footprint significantly and instantly. This is the first and the most important, we can even say a mandatory step for going green with your business but not the only one.
There are a few more steps you can take. The idea is to decrease the carbon footprint by using clever mechanisms. There are several of them. They are:
According to Heather Clancy from GreenBiz Group, there is another method you can use to decrease carbon footprint. You can use carbon offsetting. The best example here is Etsy. They obviously have a high carbon footprint scale, but they invest in projects that will offset the carbon.
Another important fact to consider are your partners. Some of the companies you work with are eco-friendly, others are not. It is essential to focus your attention on those who are green. By doing this, you indirectly decrease their carbon footprint.
You shouldn’t go green with your business just because it is appealing or more profitable. You should do it because your consumers are asking this from you. Many of you believe that price is the most important factor when a shopper makes his decision. According to Toby Cox from Clutch, this isn’t the case anymore. More consumers are worried about the carbon footprint and the environment.
There was a study conducted on 420 people from the United States. 71% of them believe that brands' effect on the environment is extremely important. 68% cares about the social responsibility of the brand and also 68% are interested in what a company or a brand is doing to help the community. Another survey by Futerra proved that 88% of 1000 people who participated wanted for a brand to be eco-friendly and also ethical.
We were able to see back in 2018 that eco-friendly businesses are growing faster than ordinary ones. According to research from that year, the need for ordinary chocolate grew by 5%. The sales of sustainable chocolate grew by 16%. The situation is the same for all types of products of all categories.
All of this happens due to obvious reasons. More people are aware of the environmental impacts we have on the planet and realize that the situation may get much worse in the near future. This is the same explanation why so many people like electric cars these days and prefer sustainable energy sources. At the same time, all of this suggests that consumers want and need an eco-friendly brand and they will always prefer it compared to ordinary, more conventional brands. For business owners, this is a clear and mandatory improvement to consider and also one that can increase the profits significantly.
Even after you have completed all the steps and you make sure your business is 100% eco-friendly, this doesn’t mean you are done. As a matter of fact, this is just half of the story. The next plan is to show to your consumers that you are green now.
According to the Green Business Bureau you need to make sure consumers understand the packages you are using, they understand they are made from recycled materials. Put a label on the package, paint it green, or anything that can help the consumers understand the main point.
Thanks to Anita Campbell we know that publishing a sustainability plan is extremely efficient and important. It allows your consumers to stay in contact with your efforts, to learn about your goals, and also to see what kind of a brand you are going to become in the future. Using social media to promote these plans and efforts is extremely important and even more beneficial than anything else. All major companies such as Microsoft used the same steps and the same steps.
Lesley Vos claims that you can optimize your store and your design to make it more eco-friendly. The simplest thing is to use more green color, but it is far from the only one. There are no limitations here. Last but not least, stay realistic and honest with your consumers. You must do all the things you plan and claim.
Using platforms such as ShipSaving can be beneficial in this case scenario. They promote efficient planning and can assist your business with decreased carbon footprint, lower expenses and so much more.
The first benefit here is the decreased cost of packaging, shipping, disposal, and many other things. In general, eco-friendly businesses make more money because they spend less money on ordinary things.
The next major advantage is the fact you may get money from a government to go green. According to the Green Business Bureau this is more than just common and it has a huge effect overall.
The last benefit here is that your employees are going to become more interested in the business and the company in general. Going green has a huge effect on people and can make them more focused on the job, want to do more, and also love the brand more.
A while back going green was something you could do but didn’t have to. Today, going green for eCommerce businesses is extremely important and it has several main purposes. It gives you more consumers, higher profit, and also more loyal customers. There are no drawbacks on the other hand.
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