Sustainability consumption is on the rise again, according to the analysis of the GfK Sustainability Index. After the low point in the fall of last year due to inflation, the willingness to invest in sustainable products rose dramatically at the beginning of this year and is continuing the upward trend.
Green commerce is becoming increasingly important for consumers. That is why it is worth looking at your business and how you can make it a little greener.
What is Green Commerce?
"Green commerce" or "green trade" refers to sustainable practices in retail and e-commerce that aim to minimize the environmental impact of business activities. This includes packaging, shipping, recycling and, of course, the product itself. Find out how you can make your business greener here.
How to make your e-commerce greener
Of course, not everything can be made emission-free, reusable and biodegradable from one day to the next. Take a step-by-step approach and consider what you can reasonably implement at this point in time. To help you with your decision, we have summarized various options for making your e-commerce greener in a matrix.
Regardless of whether you want to start with little effort or are highly motivated and want to move up a level, you will find possible approaches and implementation options below.
Product lifecycle
Your products are the heart of your company and therefore have the greatest impact on its sustainability. But don't worry, you won't be stuck with the costs. For many, sustainable consumption has become increasingly important in recent years, and customers are often willing to spend more on sustainable products.
But how can you make your products more sustainable? Here are some approaches:
- Sustainable production: Rely on environmentally friendly production processes that consume fewer resources and generate less waste. This can significantly reduce your company's ecological footprint.
- Durability of your products: Develop products that are robust and durable. Long-lasting products need to be replaced less often, which is beneficial for both the environment and your customers.
- Use recyclable materials: Integrate recyclable or already recycled materials into your products. This conserves resources and reduces waste.
Sustainable packaging
As the saying goes, first impressions count - and the first thing your customer sees after buying online is the packaging. Fortunately, there are many ways in which you can optimize the sustainability of your packaging. Let's take the internet giant Amazon as an example. It now often offers the option of sending products in their original packaging and dispensing with additional cardboard.
Of course, this doesn't work for every product. Instead of omitting the packaging, you can also opt for packaging made from renewable materials such as grass paper or bagasse. There are now also numerous sustainable options for the filling and padding material such as packing silk or filling chips made from plant starch.
Energy-efficient logistics
Often overlooked, but by no means insignificant, is logistics for green online retail. Here, too, there are a number of levers - whether it's the vehicles used, the supply chain or the warehouse itself - logistics holds great potential for a sustainable turnaround. The choice of the right fulfillment partner plays a decisive role here. After all, a well-chosen fulfillment service provider not only saves costs, but also has a lot to offer. When looking for greener fulfillment, you can look for certified partners, for example. Look out for certifications like the Bio or ISO14001 certification, these give you additional security and can also be advertised on your website.
If you want to learn more about sustainable packaging and green logistics, simply download our free whitepaper on sustainable logistics for e-commerce brands.
Digital sustainability
But something can also be done digitally - in the e-commerce sector, this means optimizing websites and online platforms for lower energy consumption and using green hosting services that rely on renewable energies, also known as "green hosting".
Alles schön und gut, aber Veränderung bedeutet natürlich auch Arbeit.
Hier erfahren Sie, warum es sich für Sie lohnen könnte:
The advantages of green commerce
First and foremost, of course, is environmental protection. Climate change affects us all, and everything that contributes to reducing our ecological footprint also has a positive impact on our lives.
Important for the business: the brand image and the resulting customer satisfaction. Through greener retail, you can attract customers who pay particular attention to sustainability and increase the satisfaction of existing customers. Not only will you potentially generate more sales, but you can also save costs in the long term by using resources more efficiently and reducing waste.
Conclusion
Making your own store greener has many advantages, but is also a challenge. To avoid feeling overwhelmed by the changes and plans, you can set yourself small goals. Start with one area and work your way forward slowly. It will pay off! Your customers will thank you and, in the long term, so will your wallet.
Are you still looking for the right fulfillment provider or are you planning to switch? Our logistics experts will be happy to help you.
English 
German