The guest post is provided by Ann from Buxr.com, a community of bargain hunters sharing online coupons and hot deals.
Shopping online can save both your money and our planet! Why is that, you ask? Well, let’s see:
Go Green by Saving Gas and Emissions
According to
GfK Online Shopping Survey (OSS, 2008 ), about 70 % of people surveyed think shopping online is good for the environment as it helps to reduce the carbon footprint (imagine the pollution on crowded Saturday afternoon when everyone is driving to the mall to do shopping).
Scientific estimates testify that online shopping is 27% more environmentally friendly than driving to the mall:
“The carbon emission of each item bought online and delivered to
the customer is 132 grams of CO2. A staggering 27 items need to be
bought on a dedicated car journey to the shops to achieve the same level
of efficiency.” ( Dr. Julia Edwards of the IMRG Online Green Awards 2008).
Go Green by Online Product Research
Not only you reduce emissions by buying from home (instead of driving to the mall) – imagine how much more gas you are saving by doing initial product research online before buying? Clicking your mouse instead of driving from mall to mall to compare prices, quality and customer service.
Besides, by doing your thorough “pre-shopping” research online you keep from buying on impulse: you don’t buy what you actually don’t need and thus save emission and packaging expenses.
Go Green by Saving on Packaging
With useful Internet resources you are always aware of special time-limited offers that allow you to buy in bulk in big containers:
- less packaging means less waste;
- less packaging means less natural material (e.g. woods) spent to produce it.
Go Green by Keeping Track of Online Green Initiatives
I don’t know if there are more green initiatives in the Internet than in the “offline” world but what is for sure is that finding environmentally friendly products and campaigns online is much easier and faster. Try searching [recycled products], [recycled gifts] or any other “green” terms in Google and you will get an idea.
Most online brands continuously promote their green initiatives you can register for and participate. For example, Home Depot offers tips on how to conserve the Earth’s beauty and at the same time promotes its water-saving plumbing products; and Toshiba maintains its eco-conscious recycling and trade-in program.
Post image source: www.CartoonStock.com
