Spring 2009

Online shopping is definitely more environmentally friendly than driving to the shops or even taking a bus.

That's the finding of a report entitled Carbon Auditing: the Last Mile by Heriot Watt University, which has been produced as part of the wider Green Logistics programme being undertaken by a group of British universities.

The final report echoes and reinforces preliminary findings made public last year, which indicated for instance that it is necessary to buy 24 items during a car trip to a supermarket to keep the carbon footprint down to the level of buying one item online. On a bus trip, the break-even quantity is seven items.

James Roper, chief executive of IMRG, which speaks for online retailers, has warmly welcomed the full report. He points out that it has long been suspected that online shopping is 'greener' than driving to the shops, but adds: 'This factual, wide-ranging research nails the point.'

 

The research behind the paper shows that a typical van-based home delivery journey produces 181 grams of CO2, compared with 4,274 grams for an average trip to the shops by car. An average shopper trip by bus produces 1,265 grams.

Professor Alan McKinnon, director of the Logistics Research Centre and one of the paper's authors, places various caveats on the findings. He points out, for instance, that travelling to the shops by bus at peak time and buying in bulk could signifcantly reduce the disparity between buying on the high street and buying online.

The report also points out that failed deliveries undermine the eco-friendliness of home shopping.

Nevertheless, it comes to an inescapable conclusion. 'On average' it says, 'in the case of non-food purchases, the home delivery operation is likely to generate less CO2.' It adds: 'This environmental advantage can be reinforced in various ways if online retailers and their carriers alter some of their current operating practices.'

Click here for fuller article on the findings of the report.