Yes, it's a thing.
Surprising right? Ordering online is more sustainable than shopping in-store... as long as it's not rushed.
The Brick-and-Mortar Piece
When you shop at a brick-and-mortar store, those products have traveled a lot before they find their way onto the shelf and into your cart. From manufacturing facility --> freight truck --> warehouse --> another freight truck --> your store. Sometimes it stops at a few other warehouses on a few other trucks along the way.
Online orders (like us!) are manufactured, live in a single warehouse, and are then shipped directly to you when they are purchased. This saves unnecessary transportation energy as well as the energy used by the storage facilities.
The Consumer Piece
Generally, you (the consumer) drive to the store (if you live in a city and walk or take public transportation, this piece doesn't really apply to you). When you drive to the store, you have a carbon cost. With hundreds of people visiting that single store in a day, you can see how that carbon cost adds up fast.
The Rush Shipping Piece
And last but not least, rush shipping. When you overnight ship or two-day ship a product, a special trip is made to your home to get that product to you. When you ship via the USPS (how we ship), your product is just hitching a ride along a predetermined postal route.
It's the public transportation of shipping.
Not to mention these speedy shipping methods usually feature oversized boxes and excessive bubble wrap. We source post-consumer recycled bags, and fully recyclable shipping boxes to minimize our impact.
