16 Feb 2024
10 tools to make your eCommerce purchases more sustainable and ethical
It’s becoming increasingly crucial to adopt responsible and sustainable purchasing practices. Fortunately, there are many tools available today to help consumers, merchants and retailers make their online shopping experience more ethical and environmentally friendly. Whether you’re a eCommerce or a customer, our team has put together 10 tools to help you reduce the negative impacts of your consumption.
Tools that can be used by eCommerce companies
1. EcoCart
EcoCart is an application that lets you offer your customers the option of making their order carbon neutral in the checkout. The application is integrated directly into your eCommerce system. EcoCart automatically calculates the carbon footprint of each transaction and offers a transparent offsetting option.
2. Virtue
Virtue is an application that lets you add the option for your customers to make donations in the checkout without extra cost to the merchant that can go to 3 organizations you’ve preselected.
3. Recommerce
“By 2030, the recommerce industry is expected to be worth $84 billion, almost double that of fast fashion.” (1) With Recommerce or similar applications your customers, your customers can take back second-hand items when they’re no longer needed, in exchange for cash (bank transfer) or in-store credit with your Shopify store.
4. Ecologi
Similar as EcoCart, Ecologi offers customers the chance to plant a tree at the point of purchase, or as part of a promotional strategy. The application can be used in a number of contexts, such as during “Giving Tuesday“. Consumers can calculate their impact on the climate, subscribe to a monthly subscription to offset their carbon emissions, and track the progress of the projects they support.
5. The “imperfects”
If you happen to have production batches with a few defects or breakages, it might be worth considering adding an ‘imperfect’ tab to your online store to offer your customers the chance to purchase these products at reduced prices. The same applies to sample or demonstrator sales. This option promotes sustainability and offers a cost-effective option for environmentally conscious and budget-conscious buyers.
An example, https://parmilifewear.com/collections/samplesale
To find out more, take a look at our Sustainable Development Guide: How to Make Your eCommerce Site Greener.
Tools that can be used by eCommerce customers
1. Bless.
This application enables customers to think before they buy, and encourages thoughtful spending. It enables people to make informed decisions, encouraging a more considered approach to consumption.
The online platform facilitates the exchange of clothing between users. Each member of the community uploads photos of clothes they wish to exchange, and can in turn browse other members’ offers to find pieces that interest them. There are also several second-hand clothing sales platforms with similar processes, such as Poshmark.
The app, which combats food waste, allows users to purchase surplus food at reduced prices from local restaurants, bakeries and other businesses. Simply browse the offers available nearby, or buy “surprise baskets” containing surplus meals and collect them before participating businesses close.
4. Geev
Geev is a mobile application designed to facilitate the donation of items between private individuals to promote reuse and waste reduction. Users can post ads for items they wish to donate, or pick up items free of charge from other members of the community.
5. Good On You & Ethical Shopper chrome extension
The platform provides information on the environmental and social impact of clothing brands, and enables consumers to get advice on how to make more responsible fashion choices. The Ethical Shopper extension exists to help make ethical purchasing choices using the Good On You brand rating system when a consumer visits a brand’s online store.
For even more responsible consumption ideas, discover 15 eco-friendly, ethical and local gift ideas to buy online.
Finally, it’s important to adopt more eco-responsible and sustainable reflexes in our consumption habits. Taken together, these individual actions have the power to have a significant impact on the environment and the community. By making conscious choices and supporting sustainability initiatives and eCommerce, we can contribute to a greener, healthier future for generations to come.
Want to discuss it or need more help? Contact a specialist today!
Novatize
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Source :
(1) What is Recommerce? (+ How to Sell Resale Goods in 2024), https://www.shopify.com/ca/retail/resale-programs
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