Responsible online shopping

Many of us enjoy shopping online from a variety of European e-tailers and there are certainly many advantages to it: attractive prices, quick ordering, delivery in record time (even from another country), 14 days’ no-hassle returns, and guarantees for defective products. All this and more is what drives more and more European consumers to buy online in 2022.

But is it possible to reconcile online shopping with environmental protection ? What is the environmental impact of our online purchases ? Where do the products come from ? What is the rate of CO2 emissions generated by product returns or express deliveries ? What can we do about packaging – including overpackaging of online purchases –, estimated to represent almost a third of all household waste worldwide? What should we do with items we no longer need?

This guide will provide tips on how to find eco-friendly products online, limit the impact of their delivery, avoid order returns, and how to repair and recycle your products in order to support the environment.

Our glossary will help you navigate the sustainability jargon and help you buy environmentally friendly products online within Europe.