Despite online shopping releasing a 100 million kilograms of carbon emissions into London’s environment each year*, only 44 per cent of Londoners are trying to reduce the volume of parcels they receive to reduce the environmental impact.
New research from sustainable parcel consolidation and delivery company MyPup reveals that, while 87 per cent of London residents are concerned about the environmental impact of the package deliveries they receive, significantly fewer are willing to change their behaviour to address the issue.
In the midst of the Golden Quarter, with Christmas shopping already underway for many and shopping events like Black Friday on the horizon, the research raises concerns about the ongoing environmental impact of online shopping behaviour.
Convenience – or a lack thereof – is a significant factor for 89 per cent consumers when choosing a delivery option, after the safety of parcels (94%) and the cost of delivery (90%). It seems that the inconvenience of many greener options may be leading to inaction, as seven in 10 (69%) of London-based consumers would be willing to make small changes to improve their carbon footprint if there was no impact to their lifestyle or experience.
Nearly half (46%) of consumers think that changing their online shopping behaviour would not make a difference to the environment. While consumers are cynical of the impact changes to their purchase behaviour could have on the environment, four in five (79%) believe that it is the retailer’s responsibility to offer greener delivery options because it would be more impactful.
More sustainable delivery options are increasingly available to consumers but there are significant barriers in place when it comes to both cost and convenience. 93 per cent of consumers are interested in more sustainable delivery solutions, however three in five (59%) say they would be put off if this resulted in an increased cost of delivery.
Others are concerned with convenience, with three in 10 (30%) saying that they would be put off if it would take more time for their purchase to arrive, and a similar proportion (26%) are concerned that sustainable delivery options would be less convenient for them.
Esme Fowler-Mason, UK & Ireland Market Consultant, at MyPup, said: “To create real behaviour change when it comes to sustainable deliveries, it is important that the services on offer do not impact consumers when it comes to cost or convenience, especially as so many consumers do not believe that changing their behaviour would have an impact.
“Looking at the tail-end of last-mile delivery could be a solution. Instead of retailers and consumers changing their delivery providers, a consolidation service could reduce the number of individual deliveries being made. All consumers need to do is enter a different delivery address at the check-out, and all their parcels from multiple couriers would be delivered in one-go, reducing the number of vans on the road and carbon emissions as a result.”
MyPup – My Pick Up Point – is a parcel consolidation and delivery service, helping to reduce pollution in our cities, reduce parcel theft and provide a more sustainable delivery option for apartment buildings and offices across London.
By collecting parcels from all couriers at a hub outside of London and sorting them by building, only one electric vehicle delivery is needed for all residents – made by the same courier each day – and packages are kept safe in smart lockers until recipients are available to collect them.
