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Our planet is facing various threats. The emission of carbon dioxide is one of them. One of the biggest carbon dioxide emission activities is parcel delivery through freight shipping. A survey report reveals that currently, this activity alone is generating more than 20 million tons of this harmful gas.
Apart from the carbon dioxide emission, another dark side of this shipping and parcel delivery industry is the generation of waste material. Approximately 33% of total waste is generated by parcel delivery systems. In recent years, online shopping has gained much popularity. But this activity has shown a huge impact on the global environment through the emission of carbon dioxide and black carbon.
The impact is alarming; hence needs immediate remedial steps. Sustainable shipping with an efficient tracking package system may be the solution to this ever-growing problem.
Sustainable Shipping
Sustainable shipping means practicing eco-friendly shipping that can minimize its negative impact on the environment. This may be achieved by adopting various measures aiming at reducing the generation of waste materials and minimizing the emission of black carbon and carbon dioxide.
How to reduce Parcel Packaging Waste?
Parcel packaging material contributes a lot to waste generation. The most common packaging material used in parcel packing is plastic. This can be replaced with eco-friendly packaging materials such as biodegradable plastic bags, compostable plastic bags, recycled packaging, and re-useable packing materials
What are Green Solutions for parcel delivery companies?
Green shipping is a term used in the parcel delivery industry. It means adopting transportation methods that reduce environmental pollution. It comprises of:
● Using alternative energy sources to run the transport such as using electric vehicles instead of conventional fuel like petrol or diesel
● Using mass transportation methods like ships, trucks, buses, and railways.
What is the impact of parcel delivery on the environment?
Parcel delivery harms the global environment in so many ways:
● It is one of the biggest contributors to the generation of carbon dioxide. On average, it causes an emission of more than 20 million tons of carbon dioxide per year
● The emission of black carbon (soot) is yet another air pollutant caused by transport and shipping. Round 21% of global emission of black carbon comes from parcel delivery
● One-third of the total waste is produced by the parcel packaging materials
● Around 165 billion cardboard packages are shipped per year, only in the USA, which is equal to approximately 1 billion trees.
Best practices for eco-friendly parcel delivery
● Use eco-friendly packaging – Environment-friendly materials should be used instead of conventional plastic bags. Plastic is a material that may take up to 500 years to decompose; hence a major contributor to environmental pollution. Alternate materials such as degradable plastic, compostable plastic, and recycled and reusable materials may replace the use of plastic in parcel delivery. This will help a lot in reducing waste created by this industry, as well as reducing environmental pollution
● Use appropriately sized packaging box – Use the minimum possible parcel appropriate for the item being shipped. Oversized and large packets contribute to waste generation. It also impacts the cost of shipping in the shape of extra fuel.
● Optimization of the delivery route – It will help reduce the cost of parcel delivery for the shipping company. But at the same time, it is an eco-friendly approach. It reduces the time of transport on the road, thus reducing the emission of hazardous gases.
● Choose appropriate shipping method – Air transport may be the fastest mode of parcel delivery but it is the most non-eco-friendly mode of transportation. Cargo ships are more eco-friendly as compared to air cargo.
Conclusion
An increase in online shopping and home delivery of goods has made an adverse impact on the environment in the shape of increasing the generation of harmful gases in the air and piling up of huge waste materials. It is, therefore, important to adopt eco-friendly modes of parcel delivery to reduce environmental disasters.
Sustainable shipping and green solutions can help to achieve this goal.