Are You a Consumer Who Is Ordering More and More Items Online?

The shipping delivery that arrived at your door today was fast, but it was anything but green packaging. In fact, the dozen air filters for your air conditioner came in a box so big you initially feared that you had made a mistake on an order that you placed yesterday. You were fairly certain that the love seat cover and the two chair covers that you ordered yesterday were being sent to your daughter’s college dorm address. The box that showed up at your front door, however, was so big that you feared that the slipcovers had been accidentally shipped to your home instead of the dorm.
As you unpacked the large box from the major distribution center, you were shocked to find out how light the actual package was. After unraveling a large piece of brown paper cushioning the box inside the outside shipping box, you finally pulled out the inside package. It was so light you realized that it could not be the furniture covers, opened the box and realized that your husband had simply restocked his supply of AC filters.
You were relieved that you had not accidentally sent the dorm package to the wrong address, but you were disappointed to know how much packaging had come into such an inexpensive purchase. You know that your husband would have found a good price and that he gets very shipping on these packages, but you really wondered what was the benefit. Wouldn’t it have been better to just drive to the closest store and purchase these items at a slightly higher price than feel guilty about all of the packaging that was wasted and the carbon foot print from all of the delivery costs.
Will the Nation Make Significant Moves Toward Green Packaging As More Consumers Order Online?
A recent National Public Radio (NPR) story focused on the implications of rural areas not having access to broadband and faster internet access. Part of the story talked about how a growing number of brick and mortar stores are closing and people are ordering their items online. Some people are even ordering baby food online and having those items delivered to their doors. As online ordering continues to grow in popularity, it should come as no surprise that more and more retail packaging companies are moving toward the development of green packaging options. From environmentally friendly custom clamshell packaging solutions to a variety of other options, online retailers are striving to find an affordable, effective, and green solution.