- YES, Shopping on the Web is Eco-Friendly as well as Increasing the Bottom Line. Here's How:
- With fuel costs on the rise, shopping online is becoming the most affordable way to get what you need. And guess what? It’s not only fun, relaxing and convenient; it’s good for the environment as you decrease your carbon footprint.
Of course, that's probably what you'd expect to read! But there are so many more ways and benefits - just browse down and see the headings and boldings.
Doing Your Regular Household Shopping Online Conserves the Planet, and Your Money Too!
How many hours do you spend in the supermarket each week? Maybe you spend more time and energy shopping for groceries and incidentals than you would like, but there is an alternative. Why not do your regular shopping online and save time and money, not to mention the support that gives to the environment? Traditional grocery shops and even discount stores require huge overhead costs, which all gets passed along to the customer. They consume enormous amounts of electricity and man-power, and they pollute the planet by continuously producing unnecessary garbage and burning fossil fuels. Online organizations (like Amazon) have done away with huge swathes of administrative costs. Now that really helps us all.
Supporting Local and Organic Farmers Reduces Pollution
By trading your weekly trip to the market for a few minutes online, we can all reduce our carbon footprints. In many areas you will find there are organic fruit and vegetable suppliers who will deliver weekly to your door. They often have a whole range of related products, possibly even household and skin care items that you may also consider reviewing and adding to your list. Consider how one van delivering to 100 homes compares with 100 family cars all going to the local supermarket.
Internet Shopping Makes Life Easier
Even if you have never bought your groceries online before, most likely you have purchased something over the Internet: a book, a pair of shoes, a hard-to-find toy. Shopping for these items is often so much easier to do online, especially if you know what you’re looking for. Online stores can offer a wider array of products because they aren’t required to ship items to a multitude of locations spread across the nation (or the world), plus they don’t have to maintain physical properties where consumers can make their purchases. Instead, shoppers can view pictures and detailed descriptions of the items they want to buy from the comfort of their homes. Shipping costs are becoming increasingly reasonable, especially when compared to the current cost of the gasoline it would take to travel to and from the supermarket or wherever the product you want is sold.
Whatever You Buy Online Helps the Environment
Think how easy it is to buy, say, a wrought iron chandelier online, as opposed to trying to find a shop that has one locally. If you phone and they say that they've got lots, their idea of lots may be more than one! You can't even see what they've got. You can't compare it with another shop's stock without driving round to other shop's premises. When you go online you can compare many different stores, find the cheapest, see it's actually in stock and order. Mostly, you can also telephone the online store to get reassured, - just in case you have some all too common doubts about stores that only have a cyber-address and not an actual showroom presence! So you end up saving gas, time, money and many other hidden savings for our planet.
So the very act of buying online is environmentally friendly - it's not the case that you need to find and buy "green" products. Of course it's always a good idea to choose environmentally friendlier products if you've got the choice. If you're buying bedding - many people will recommend buying organic bedding over traditional types and that helps the environment further still. Then it all starts to become a win, win situation - the more you support organic products, the cheaper they will become as they are able to economize through increased volume production. Similarly, the more you support online stores, the even bigger savings they can make. And they have to pass it on to you, the customer, to stay competitive with other online stores, who are just a click away. And all the time, their modus operandi is far more environmentally protective than Walmart and the like!
Be A More Informed Consumer…and Don’t Worry About Those Pesky Salespeople!
Frequenting online merchants also saves you time and energy, allowing you to compare products and prices without leaving the comfort of your home. It virtually eliminates the stress of making hurried decisions about your purchases, since you can view merchandise and compare prices at stores regardless of where they are located. For many shoppers, the potential fun of shopping is undermined by having to deal with a pushy salesperson. Web-based stores also alleviate this problem; we can surf at our leisure, without pressure and leave without any social embarrassment. Every time we walk into a shop we know they want us to buy something. It’s natural that we start worrying about being hassled or coerced into making a purchase that you aren’t sure about. How often does it cross your mind that the salesman in a particular shop has helped you a lot and you owe him - you feel you have to do him a favor by buying there? The web is helping more and more consumers make hassle free and better informed decisions. We save money online, and can put those funds to better use.
Shopping Online Improves the Economy
Concern over the present state of the economy has caused consumer spending to drop in recent months, but making purchases over the Internet can help reverse this trend. Supermarkets and department stores incur huge maintenance costs. They devour vast amounts of electricity, which they use to heat and cool needlessly large spaces, light 24-hour facilities even when no shoppers are present, and operate the computers and machinery that must be present to manage their inventory. They must also pay their personnel: salespeople, management, and employees that manage the stores’ relationship with other organizations.
Consider the Cost of Carbon Fuels
Another growing concern for on-site marketplaces is the ballooning cost of fossil fuels and the resulting spike in trucking costs. Online shopping requires goods to be shipped to the buyer, but traditional stores must pay to move every item they stock, even those that never sell. The costs of these necessities cause prices to skyrocket, and most consumers make fewer purchases as a result. Online stores still require some overhead, but their inventory is usually stored at a central location, which reduces the costs of physical real-estate and shipping and handling. Also, since online shopping is largely automated, stores can avoid the expense of hiring and training a constant stream of sales staff and related employees. All these advantages help Internet stores keep their prices low, allowing customers to get more for their money and stimulate the economy in the process.
The Earth Needs Your Help: Use the Internet and Do Your Part
Shopping is a pastime for many people. We like to stroll through a well-lit shopping mall and check out the elegantly designed and strategically arranged window displays. We try on clothes, browse the shelves for favorite books, and stop for lunch at the food court. But what about those every-day purchases we are so used to making? Discount supermarkets and auto-parts retailers are probably not your idea of desirable hang-outs for a fun afternoon excursion. Online grocery shopping in particular sports plenty of advantages to keep busy bargain-hunters out of the crowded market. Sticking to your grocery list is much easier when you don’t have to walk through the bakery, and there are no impulse items waiting to tempt you at the virtual register.
Shopping Therapy Has Its Benefits, Just Less Value
Shopping for the sake of shopping will probably remain a favorite national hobby, but if consumers simply traded their weekly trip to the supermarket for a short, convenient visit to an online grocer, the impact on the environment would be enormous. Perishables could be transported directly to the consumer‘s home, eliminating an unnecessary pit stop at the market and greatly reducing auto emissions and eliminating the wasted fossil fuels that result when produce and animal products are damaged or go bad at the store. Many of the retailer’s employees, like customer service representatives, could work from home or locations close to home. This would also prevent wasted gasoline. All the conserved electricity would serve to reduce coal usage and other harmful forms of energy production. Again, this is not against buying non-organic "luxury" items that we all enjoy, but if you are buying Italian glass lighting, for example, discover whether low power bulbs are an option for your product.
Support Organic Farmers While You Shop
Internet shopping also helps conscientious buyers find environment-friendly products more easily. In a traditional department store, organic and nature-sensitive products are often hard to find among the countless aisles and shelves of “regular” choices, but in an Internet-based setting, a simple link or word search leads us to the type of merchandise we want. Web design allows you to sort the store’s inventory by any number of criteria. A shopper interested in “green” products can view a store’s entire selection of organic foods, eco-safe cleaning solutions, and organically grown materials with a simple click or two of a mouse.
Simple Solutions for Perishable Goods
And the good news doesn’t stop there. As with all perishables, organic fruits and vegetables are difficult to transport and preserve while waiting to be sold. In fact, because they haven’t been treated with chemicals to prevent spoiling, organic produce is even more prone to ruining before it gets to the table. When you buy these foods online, the retailer is better able to track his customers’ needs and stock only what he can sell. In some cases, if you buy from a merchant who participates in farming the produce he sells, he can harvest and ship your order when you make it. This helps him maximize avoid ruined produce and lost inventory, and you receive exceptionally fresh and healthy organic foods at a fair price.
Online Retailer Competition Benefits the Buyer
The Internet is populated with thousands retailers who support environmentally sound practices and carry goods that benefit the planet. The prospect of choosing one may seem daunting at first, especially for anyone unused to making purchases online. But having a large quantity of sites like these is actually great for the consumer. Intense competition among online merchants keeps prices low, and both consumers and suppliers can leave feedback regarding the quality of the goods and services they receive. This keeps web-based business in check and helps consumers make informed decisions about where they shop. It also allows customers to communicate more easily with proprietors about their needs and any complaints they might have.
Is Your Identity Safe? - It’s Safer Online!
If you haven’t yet ventured into the world of online shopping, or if you have ever been the victim of identity theft, you are probably concerned about sharing your private information over the Internet. While you should be aware of the potential hazards of making purchases online, you should also understand that your odds of being targeted for identity theft are actually greater when you pay in person. There are many ways to safely make your payment over the Internet, and you can keep your information safe by being aware of the safeguards available to you. Most credit cards offer protection against fraudulent charges to your account, and although you should try not to give out your bank account information over the Internet (or in any other form, for that matter), many banks provide a debit card that can also be used as a credit card with all the accompanying benefits. If you are still uncomfortable about others viewing your credit card number, you might consider setting up a Paypal account. It can be linked to your credit card or bank accounts, but the only information that will be accessible to retailers will be your e-mail address or phone number.
Make a Difference for Yourself and To Our Environment
Doing your shopping online is becoming increasingly fun and convenient. It makes life easier and gives you more time and money to do the things you enjoy. And its benefits for the environment are widespread and long-lasting, especially if you use your online shopping experience to purchase Earth-friendly products. Organic farming and manufacturing practices are essential to the health of our planet, so next time you think about buying a new sofa or even just making your usual run to the grocery, consider taking a closer look at the Internet and what it’s virtual marketplace has to offer.
