On-Line Shopping and Being (Un)Green in a Frantic Life

[Anonymous]

So, I try to buy local food when possible, don't use much plastic, recycle like there is no tomorrow, and am thinking about getting some solar panels. But, then it hits me: If I really wanted to be green, I would stop ordering everything on Amazon and buy everything local.

For example, yesterday I realized I needed some new coffee travel mugs. I knew exactly the kind I wanted, so - click, click, click - over to Amazon I went. I ordered four travel mugs plus two books for the kids. Today, I got four shipping confirms. Yep, 6 items, four boxes, four shipments. Somehow, I think putting all the cardboard in the recycle bin is not the best way to be green.

At the same time, I WOH FT, as does DH, we both have long hours jobs, and we barely have time to breathe, let alone run to four different stores on the weekend in search of travel mugs.

How have others dealt with this? If you are very pressed for time, how do you reconcile trying to be as green as you can with the demands of life? When is convenience ok? Is there an on-line source for a large variety of items that doesn't break all orders into so many shipments? How have you solved for this?

[Anonymous]

Don't order things off of Amazon. Use a website, like Target, that will group an order into one shipment if you request it.

Are there greener alternatives to online shopping? In the grand scheme of things, yes, but I feel like "running to four different stores" is at the tipping point. Couple that with convenience and you really shouldn't feel guilty. You are doing what is best for you and your family.

[Anonymous]

agree with PP. But I do have to say I also find it distressing that Amazon stuff is not all shipped together. I didn't realize at first that all those sellers are independent (which is actually kind of nice, but...) Anyway, when I shop online I try to group shipments into one shipment and use a store that will allow me to buy multiple things at once.

[Anonymous]

You can choose fewer shipping boxes on amazon. You just have to watch how many vendors you are really buying from.

[Anonymous]

1. There is a "group my items into as few shipments as possible" option.

2. Amazon has 19 distribution centers, including one in Sterling VA and others not far away. So if they are the supplier, there is a good chance that the package isn't traveling far. That can't be said of most retailers. It is more environmentally friendly if goods are stocked in bulk at a nearby distribution facility and orders fulfilled from there than to send each package individually across the country. (BTW Target also has a lot of facilities, but I don't seem to get many of my products from their Stuart's Mills VA distribution center for some reason).

3. I find that Amazon is more efficient in its use of packaging materials than other retailers. That counts both in cardboard and in the truck space occupied.

4. Choose items that are from Amazon or marked "Amazon Prime". They are the most likely to be grouped into one shipment. If the items come from partners, Amazon can't do anything about the shipping.

[Anonymous]

Another thing I wanted to add:

5. Consider the environmental cost of alternative buying. Say you buy toys at a local, non-chain toy store. Guess how they get their inventory? Lots of small packages sent to them from individual suppliers. It's not as bad as single item shipments, but it's not as environmentally friendly as Toys R Us who brings a shipping container direct to each store. And then you have to add the emissions you generated for a special trip to that store. Everything has its costs - even buying locally.

[Anonymous]

OP here. All items in my recent order were sold by Amazon itself, and I am an Amazon Prime member and select that as my shipping option. That's why I really don't get the four boxes. I'll look for the option to group everything together, although I think that is optional for Amazon and not binding on them (I think it says "when possible").

[Anonymous]

I think there's a good eco argument to be made for online shopping. UPS or whoever delivers the goods has bunched all of these deliveries together to execute the most efficient route. And maybe it cuts down on traffic. I'd rather have UPS deliver a 6 pack of formula to 20 houses than to have 20 different cars go out to buy a canister of formula.

[Anonymous]

If you bought locally, you'd use gas in your car as you drove to the different stores, plus shopping bags at each store. Each brick and mortar store uses energy in the form of electricity, employees using gas to drive to work, etc. So, in fact, there is a lot of energy use that you're avoiding by shopping online.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. All items in my recent order were sold by Amazon itself, and I am an Amazon Prime member and select that as my shipping option. That's why I really don't get the four boxes. I'll look for the option to group everything together, although I think that is optional for Amazon and not binding on them (I think it says "when possible").

I meant that an item is Prime = Amazon stocks it in its distribution center. But if you select the prime shipping, you are expecting items in 2 days and they may be unable to group them and still make the deadline. I would suggest downgrading the shipping speed. It's harder to get everything to you fast and grouped together.

[Anonymous]

not the OP but I always chose the "group my items together" option and amazon still sends me multiple boxes. last week I added a 1.50 sticker book for dd to my order so that it would qualify for the 25$ free shipping, selected the group my items together option and I still got 3 different packages, including the 1.50 sticker book in its own box. I assume they must have different items in different warehouses which accounts for this issue, but if does feel wasteful.

[Anonymous]

I buy travel mugs and water bottles at Value Village. They cost less than a dollar each and buying secondhand is as green as it gets.

[Anonymous]

I've never heard of Value Village. Where/what is it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've never heard of Value Village. Where/what is it?

It is a chain of thrift stores. I frequent the one in Silver Spring, right off the Beltway on NH Avenue.

http://valuevillage.com/

[Anonymous]

Value Village is The Bomb. Crazy bargains and so much fun hunting for them. For DH's birthday, along with other gifts, I gave him a gift certificate to VV! It's the exponential gift.