Is Online Shopping Really Good For The Environment?
When the concept of sitting at home and shopping through a computer first hit the market, no one had even bothered to think of the effects this may have on the environment of the planet. The first thoughts were about the security of the transactions and the variety of products that could be made available through this method. Over the years, people have become much more accustomed to the online mode of shopping. It is relatively much more stress-free and avoids the countless annoyances that are often associated with the traditional modes of shopping.
For years, many have wondered whether it has any other benefit apart from the ease and comfort it gives to the consumer. For a long time, it was a commonly told joke that people no longer had to drive to the local shops to get the products they needed. All they had to do was click the mouse. Voila! The product, be it a dress, an appliance or even a mug, would land promptly on the doorstep.
Recently, environmentalists and scientists have been giving this a lot of thought. It was after all quite true that a lot of traveling, both the home-shop-home and the home-shop-shop-home (and, sometimes with even more that 2 shops in between) had been reduced a lot in recent years, thanks to the emergence of stronger online stores. But, then they gave a look at the delivery system that had been put in place by these stores. Before it was only one car that traveled; now that situation has transformed into a delivery truck with even more carbon emissions. Also, researchers say the home-shoppers weren’t really staying at home during the time they saved from traveling to the stores. These consumers had anyway driven off to nearby places to hang out with friends.
So, all-in-all, there really isn’t anything much green in online shopping.
