Is e-commerce actually sustainable?

Online shopping is often portrayed as less sustainable than buying in a physical store. Packages, delivery vans, and packaging simply stand out more. However, the story is less black and white than it seems.

E-commerce can be organized very efficiently and sustainably. Especially when a webshop operates locally, packs smartly, and consolidates deliveries via collection points and parcel lockers.

One delivery van, dozens of deliveries

Those who drive to a store usually make a trip for one or a few purchases. In e-commerce, one delivery van can transport dozens of packages at once.

This becomes even more efficient when customers have their order delivered to a collection point or parcel locker. The delivery person then does not have to stop at each individual home, but can deliver many packages to one location.

When customers pick up their package during a trip they are already making — for example, on their way to work or the supermarket — this can further limit the number of extra kilometers.

Local makes a big difference

Not every online order has the same impact.

A product shipped individually from China to Belgium travels a very different route than an order dispatched from a Belgian or European warehouse.

A local webshop can consolidate orders faster, use shorter transport routes, and more easily collaborate with local or European transport partners. This also means return shipments don't have to travel thousands of kilometers.

Therefore, it's important not only to consider the question "online or offline?" but also the product's origin and how it's shipped.

A Belgian webshop with local stock can, from a logistical perspective, be a much more sustainable choice than an international platform that sends small orders individually over long distances.

But what about all that plastic?

Packaging is one of the most visible aspects of e-commerce. Many people assume that cardboard is automatically more sustainable than plastic.

However, this is not always true.

For soft and non-breakable products, such as clothing or textiles, a thin shipping bag made from recycled plastic can be less impactful than a cardboard box.

Plastic shipping bags are:

much lighter than cardboard boxes;
smaller and more compact;
water-resistant;
made with relatively little material;
efficient to transport.

Because they weigh less and take up less space, more packages fit into a delivery van. This means less transport volume and potentially less fuel consumption.

Furthermore, if the bag is made from recycled plastic, existing material gets a second life, and less new raw material is needed.

Cardboard is not automatically the winner

Cardboard, of course, also has advantages. It is widely recyclable, made from renewable raw materials, and suitable for heavy or fragile products.

But cardboard is usually heavier and more voluminous. The production of paper and cardboard also requires water and energy.

The most sustainable choice therefore depends on the product.

Using a sturdy cardboard box for a fragile device makes sense. Having the same device arrive damaged and having to reship it would require even more resources and transport.

But using a large cardboard box for a small T-shirt is inefficient. In that case, a light shipping bag made from recycled plastic might be the better choice.

The right packaging for the right product

Sustainability does not mean that one material is always good and another is always bad.

It's primarily about smart choices:

using as little material as possible;
avoiding empty space in packaging;
choosing recycled materials;
adequately protecting products;
consolidating deliveries as much as possible;
working with local stock and short transport routes.

Packaging that is light, compact, and functional can ultimately be more sustainable than packaging that at first glance seems more environmentally friendly.

Returns also play a role

A sustainable e-commerce model doesn't stop at delivery.

Clear product information, accurate sizing, good photos, and personalized advice are also important. The better a customer knows what they are buying beforehand, the smaller the chance of a return.

Every avoided return means less transport, less processing, and less new packaging.

Conscious online shopping

E-commerce is therefore not inherently sustainable or unsustainable. Everything depends on how the webshop organizes its logistics, inventory, and packaging.

A Belgian webshop that ships locally, consolidates deliveries via collection points and parcel lockers, and consciously chooses recycled packaging, can significantly reduce its ecological impact.

The most sustainable webshop is therefore not necessarily the webshop that always uses cardboard.

It is the webshop that chooses the right packaging for each product, avoids unnecessary kilometers, and constantly looks for smarter ways to get orders to the customer.

Because sustainability isn't just about what you see on the outside of a package. It's about the entire journey the product takes.