What can be better than scrolling through gorgeous outfits and then purchasing them at the click of a button? Fashion shopping through your computer screen makes sense, especially if you want to miss the busy shops, especially over the Festive Season.
But is Shopping Online Better for the Earth?
A report in the United States says yes indeed! The biggest problem with heading to the mall to buy items is the carbon footprint that is created by people having to drive to a brick-and-mortar building. By doing everything online instead, you prevent notching up carbon miles.
But there are ways you can make shopping online for fashion even more eco-friendly. Here are some tips.
1. Keep it Local!
If you’re having things delivered instead of picking them up at a warehouse, avoid delivery that has to undergo air travel. Rather, choose to shop from online stores that have their warehouses in closer proximity to you. The bonus, of course, is that you’re likely to receive your package sooner.
2. Choose Ground Delivery
You might wonder how ground delivery can be more eco-friendly than you getting in your car and going to fetch the purchases yourself. But it is. You’re one person in your car while the truck that’s delivering goods to people will be packed with things, thus reducing its overall fuel costs and carbon footprint. It’s sort of like washing your clothes in the machine: you should fill it up instead of letting water go to waste by doing only half a load of washing.
3. Buy Three Instead of One!
Of course you don’t want to totally blow your budget this festive season, but you’ll probably be glad to know that you can make your fashion shopping online much greener by purchasing more than one item. If you know you’re going to need other clothes or accessories in the near future, whether for you or loved ones, you might as well bundle them up into one purchase. One delivery trip is more eco-friendly than two! Added to this, you’ll save on packaging.
4. Shop At Eco Boutiques
If you can’t avoid purchasing from an international shop, make sure that the boutique offers eco-friendly items. Usually, shops that focus on sustainable fabrics will also offer eco-friendly packaging of goods or carbon neutral shipping. An example of an online shop that offers both is Shop Ethica.
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