10 Tips to Make Your Webshop More Sustainable

Reducing your webshop's ecological footprint is easier said than done. However, there are plenty of options you can start working on today. Why would you want to make your webshop more sustainable in the first place?

Almost half of consumers believe it is important for companies to take action for the environment (48%) and that sustainability is a top priority for a business (42%). As a webshop, make sure to consider this group by investing in sustainability.

To make your life a little easier, we have put together a list of 10 tips: from active CO2 offsetting and using sustainable packaging materials to supporting sustainable initiatives. By applying these tips, you contribute to the future of sustainable e-commerce.

1. Create a sustainable product catalog

This tip is perhaps the most important of all: to make your webshop more sustainable, you should naturally start with the products themselves. Do you know where and how your products are manufactured? Is there room for improvement in that process?

And are your products reusable, or are they single-use? The more sustainable your product catalog is, the smaller your webshop's carbon footprint. Communicate this clearly to your customers to increase customer loyalty. Take a webshop like Pottleas an example, where they create sustainable products from recycled bottles.

2. Use green logistics 

One of the biggest problems hindering the sustainability of webshops is the logistics aspect. After all, online purchases have to be delivered. Especially last-mile delivery is often polluting and inefficient in e-commerce. By offering green delivery options during the checkout process, you give customers the chance to choose sustainable shipping. 

Be clear about the differences in costs and delivery times so that customers are well-informed. Don't worry about a decrease in purchases, though. 

Delivery shame — the shame someone feels because the delivery of a package ordered from a webshop causes a lot of traffic, environmental, and other types of nuisance — is becoming increasingly common. A portion of your customers will therefore certainly be open to green delivery options.

3. Reduce the number of returns

A high volume of returns quickly translates into a massive ecological footprint for online stores. If you are serious about making your webshop more sustainable, you will also need to reduce your return rate. 

Use a reliable returns solution. With Returnista, you can not only lower your return rate but also turn your returns into green returns . Returnista clients see an average reduction in returns of up to 12%.

4. Use sustainable packaging materials

Did you know that 64% of consumers feel that online stores use too much packaging material? Reducing packaging is therefore the first sustainable win. However, using truly sustainable packaging is different from simply reducing the amount of material you send out.

For instance, you can use recycled or sustainable materials that are biodegradable or made from bio-based plastics. It is also important to use dimensions that fit the size of the product well—have you seen the new packaging machine from Coolblue yet? 

5. Introduce active CO2 compensation

Every purchase can be linked to a certain amount of CO2 emissions. Depending on the product, this amount is fairly easy to calculate. You can attach a price tag to the CO2 emissions of a purchase. 

Customers can choose to pay an additional amount for CO2 compensation at checkout. Research shows that consumers are willing to pay 10% more for sustainable products. Tools like CO2ok and Regreener can even automate this process for you. This allows you to actively offset your webshop's CO2 emissions.

6. Introduce rental options

Circular economies can make a huge contribution to a better environment and increased sustainability within e-commerce. As a counterpart to the fast fashionindustry, several circular Product as a Servicecompanies have emerged where you rent products instead of buying them.

For example, at Mud Jeans you can ‘lease’ your jeans for €9.95 per month. Once you have used and returned them, these jeans are recycled. And at a company like Tiny Library you can rent baby products, which is a great way to account for the rapid growth of little ones. 

Are your products easy to recycle and often used for only a short time? Introduce a rental option and join the circular economy.

7. Offer pre-owned or refurbished items

In the same vein, you can offer pre-owned or refurbished selling products to give them a second life. Whether it’s a pre-owned MacBook or a recycled pair of jeans, previously used products are often still perfectly functional. 

Vintage clothing stores have been a huge success for a long time, so why wouldn't the same concept work for online shops? If you have the opportunity to pre-owned or refurbished items to your e-commerce offering, go for it. A circular webshop is a sustainable webshop.

8. Make your business premises and commuting more sustainable

Sustainability goes beyond just your online store, its logistics, and the products you offer. Your entire business operation contributes to your carbon footprint, including the sustainability of your business premises, for example. 

By making your business premises more sustainable, you not only reduce your CO2 emissions; you also lower your energy bill. Have you managed to improve your energy rating? Then take a look at how you and your employees travel to work. Commuting can also impact the carbon footprint of your online shop.

9. Limit paper usage

If you must use paper for your webshop, first make sure that you use paper with an FSC certification . This is an international certification subject to strict sustainability requirements. 

But also ensure that you limit your paper usage as much as possible. Are you still providing paper return labels? With a green return solution like the one from Returnista, for example, it is no longer necessary to include a paper return label in the box.

10. Support sustainable initiatives

Finally, you can also contribute to a sustainable e-commerce industry by actively supporting sustainable initiatives such as Sustainability Support Fund or The Bin support. We recommend clearly stating on your website exactly which initiatives you support and how you do so.

Let your customers know exactly what percentage of their purchase amount goes toward these sustainable initiatives. This makes them feel like they are contributing to these causes with their purchase, and together, you make the world a little bit better.

Ready to make your webshop more sustainable?

It starts with Returnista's return software. It helps you encourage exchanges, lower your return rate, eliminate paper labels, and utilize green delivery services like Homerr. 

Want to know more? Request a demo on our website.