Tips for ecommerce business has exploded over the last year, but with it a large carbon footprint. To stay competitive, companies have to produce more products and faster, but this has come at a cost of the environment. According to their annual sustainability report, SustainAbility found that the rapid expansion of digital commerce during 2020 has had an unprecedented impact on the planet.
While customers might appreciate demand being met, the internet has educated many around the world on the horrors of mass deforestation, global warming, and pollution, leading to a cry for change. In fact, the number of Americans that considered themselves “alarmed” about climate change nearly tripled between 2014 and 2019 according to a study done by The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.
Sustainability is not just a reason to keep your customers happy, but a responsibility on your part to minimize the impact your business has on the planet. In this article, we will give you a rundown of what it means to have a sustainable model for your business, as well as three tips on how you can implement eco-friendly changes in your company.
Why Should You Become Eco-Friendly?
Before we get too carried away, let us first peg down what exactly it means to be “sustainable.” While some differ in the lengths they would go to, sustainability generally involves meeting the needs of the present while not sacrificing the needs of future generations. It may not be the most convenient for your business, but the more companies take up these methods, the better off our world will be.
As news about climate change and pollution intensify, a notable amount of consumers—especially Gen Z—expect tips for ecommerce business to start making the move to more sustainable operations and products. As a matter of fact, a study by Nielson confirmed that an astounding 81% of global respondents felt strongly that companies should push to be more eco-friendly. Additionally, those who do feel strongly about these issues are not afraid to put their money where their mouth is, with 72% stating that they actively bought more eco-friendly products over the last five years, according to Business News Daily.
Becoming more sustainable can also be beneficial for your business outside of keeping your customers happy. Many small aspects of sustainability can build up over time, easily saving your company thousands a year. For example, beverage company Florida Ice and Farm decided to become water neutral in 2008, and over the next two years achieved a compound annual growth rate of 25%, twice the industry average.
How You Can Achieve Sustainability?
Regardless of if you take things one step at a time or go all in, here are three tips on how you can easily start your path to sustainability.
Establish a roadmap
Like any big change to your business, it is vital to set up a general game plan on how you plan on tackling the jump to becoming green. Do not be afraid to look online at other businesses or your competition to see what the best changes would be to make in your specific industry. Speaking with a professional consultant can also be extremely helpful in realizing the best fit for your business.
Once you have a solid idea of what changes you want to make, it is smart to reflect this on your website, whether it be a statement on your commitment to doing better, or the roadmap itself. This shows your customers that you are fully committed to making a difference out in the world, and not just hot air.
Implement sustainable packing and shipping
As an tips for ecommerce business, you are likely shipping hundreds of thousands of products a day all over, which means there is a whole lot of excess plastic and cardboard out in the world. According to First Insight, 53% of Gen Z shoppers feel that stores like Amazon include too much packing with their shipments.
Buying boxes in more than one size can help greatly cut down on the amount of packing material required, as well as saving space on trucks and in warehouses. Implementing recyclable packaging and cutting down returned merchandise can also assist in less pollution and waste in the world.
Reduce your energy waste
Greater sustainability can also come from your usual office and warehouse power usage. No matter how much business you do, it is highly unlikely that you will be fully operating at all hours of the day. Through performing an energy audit, you can see where excess power is being wasted, allowing you to make changes from there. Through simple actions like switching to low energy lighting or turning off equipment when not in use, you can dramatically reduce your impact on the environment, as well as lowering your monthly energy bills.
Go Green With Katalyst
While good for the environment and your business, it is often easier said than done to implement such dramatic changes to your structure. At Katalyst Software Services Limited, our team of experts can walk you through your sustainability roadmap to help your company go green in the best possible way.
Schedule a consultation with us today, and check out other blogs for more ideas on how to become an ecofriendly seller, as well as other digital commerce solutions!
