Speaking about the impacts of retail on the environment,
there have been debates with regards to online
shopping. According to an expert, purchasing products on the Web can be
better.
He advanced that using a vehicle that is powered by gas has
a more negative impact. Indeed, having only one van delivering to multiple
places is definitely better than several individuals going to the same shop.
Olaf Weber, a professor at the University of Waterloo's School of Environment,
Enterprise and Development, said, “At the end of the day if we have 10, 15, or
even 20 orders we would just deliver them, then it's a lower impact than having
people in the store”.
However, there are certain things that must be taken into
consideration. We must be careful about the way we shop to avoid causing an
even bigger environmental problem. For instance, opting for next-day or fast delivery can be more detrimental
since vehicles would have to make more trips during the day. Another issue
crops up when you go to different local farms or producers for your purchases
instead of getting everything at one supermarket.
On a hopeful note, Weber advanced that delivery companies
such as Amazon, Purolator and UPS are looking more into electric
vehicles to reduce the impact on the environment.
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