Shipping sustainable goods is a sustainable way to ship products. Not only does sustainable shipping reduce the environmental impact of transportation, but it also reduces costs and increases customer satisfaction. This blog post will discuss what sustainable shipping is and some best practices that you can use when choosing how to ship your products.
The sustainable shipping industry has grown over the past few years, with more and more companies investing in sustainable practices everywhere from small packages shipping to shipping container transport.
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What is Sustainable Shipping?
Sustainable shipping is any sustainable practice that is used in the shipping industry. Sustainable practices aim to reduce negative environmental impacts, such as fuel usage and CO emissions. Sustainable shipping can also be sustainable because it reduces the use of fossil fuels and other energy sources that emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, such as natural gas or propane; this is done by implementing sustainable modes of transportation like walking, cycling, carpooling, public transit, etc., reducing packaging sizes to reduce weight and CO emissions associated with freight handling (such as through airships) or developing technologies to prevent greenhouse gasses from being emitted in the first place.
Some strategic implementation of sustainable practices can have a cascading effect on our sustainability issues: for example, if one company begins using sustainable methods, then they may inspire others to do so, which will lead to more companies adopting sustainable measures – eventually leading us all down an environmentally sound path.
Why it Matters
Many reasons exist for sustainable shipping. For one, it reduces the environmental impact of freight and delivery. In fact, according to a recent study by KPMG’s Sustainability Services division, sustainable shipping can reduce CO emissions “by up to 60 percent.”
- It minimizes resource consumption.
- Creates safer work environments (e.g., from injuries)
- Ensures fair wages are paid
- Provides quality products that uphold standards related to social responsibility and sustainable development goals
The sustainable shipping industry has grown over the past few years, with more and more companies investing in sustainable practices. These are some of the top sustainable brands:
- Amazon Prime’s “Ship to Store” program removes up to one million miles of driving from its deliveries every year.
- UPS offers a sustainability advisor tool on their website that helps customers assess how they can become more sustainable–and save money at the same time.
- FedEx created an online training course for customer service representatives to get certified as Sustainable Shipping Certified Agents (SSCA) by The U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Alliance Partnerships Program, which aims to reduce greenhouse gases around freight distribution centers and along transportation corridors.
- Kitting and Fulfillment companies are also making leaps and bounds with sustainable kitting packaging.
The Best Brands to Trust
There are many sustainable shipping brands to trust, but the best brands are as follows:
UPS
UPS has a sustainable shipper certification accredited by Green Business Certification Inc. and is part of their Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) program. They have sustainable practices and strategies in place to help them become more sustainable. They are doing this by building a sustainable facility to house the UPS World port Hub, which is their international air hub located in Louisville, Kentucky.
UPS has many ongoing sustainability efforts that include: recycling shipping materials, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from trucks and cars, sustainable packaging partnerships, and recycling used batteries.
One sustainable initiative UPS is working on is using electric cars for their company fleet, which they are currently piloting in London.
Another sustainable project that UPS has embarked on to help reduce emissions from air travel and protect biodiversity around airports includes: replacing 24 jet engines with quieter ones at the World port Hub; reducing fuel consumption by 50% at the hub through sustainable techniques such as idle reduction and optimizing landings on a shorter runway; installing solar panels to produce renewable energy for 75% of the facility’s electric power needs.
FedEx
FedEx also offers sustainable services, with sustainable packaging options like recycled content board and kraft paper, sustainable envelopes, sustainable paperclips, and staples.
FedEx also offers sustainable services like recycling programs for batteries that can be dropped off at FedEx Office locations around the country.
The sustainable shipping of FedEx is sustainable because it encourages sustainable practices in the workplace.
FedEx also offers green shipping programs for customers who want to ship their packages and freight with less environmental impact. FedEx SmartShip® or FedEx Green Ship® offers multiple sustainable benefits like lower greenhouse gas emissions, energy savings, reduced air pollution, and better overall efficiencies.
The company has even developed a tool called “Green Tools” that helps people find ways to make their shipment more sustainable by selecting various types of packaging materials. These options are all eco-friendly (not harmful to the environment) but cost competitively priced compared to other environmentally friendly companies on the market today.
DHL
DHL is a sustainable shipping company. They use sustainable methods and refuse to ship any products that are not 100% recyclable or reusable. Their sustainable practices include green procurement, reduced fuel consumption, waste management, renewable energy sources, and recycling programs in the home country and at the sites of their operations all across the world.
DHL buys enough sustainable wood – from certified forests – to compensate for what they consume through heating and packaging of goods during the production process.
This way, DHL helps preserve natural resources by ensuring forestry is done sustainably while reducing carbon dioxide emissions through using recycled materials where possible throughout their supply chain (America’s top ten most-wanted sustainable companies).
The implementation of these measures has led them to be ranked among the first sustainable companies globally by Greenpeace and Time Magazine.
Workhorse
Workhorse is a sustainable shipping company that offers sustainable shipping, providing a sustainable alternative for people and companies.
Workhorse’s sustainable shipping is an economical solution to how to transport goods more sustainably than traditional methods. Workhorse guarantees carbon-neutral shipments because it offsets all emissions from its operations by purchasing renewable energy certificates in advance of every shipment. The purchase of these certificates ensures that no CO² will be emitted with your packages during transit.
The other thing you might like about sustainable shipping through Workhorse is their use of reusable packaging materials such as paperboard made from recycled content or corrugated cardboard boxes made without chemical coatings and plastic laminate liners, so there are fewer waste products created when they ship.
Even the packing tape they use is made from sustainable materials, with a biodegradable adhesive that breaks down in weeks rather than years to reduce waste and pollution of our water supplies.
Workhorse provides sustainable shipping for individuals and companies looking to make sustainable choices when it comes to their shipments. They offer convenient solutions such as FedEx or UPS pickup, saving customers time by eliminating the need to regularly ship packages. There are no hidden fees with Workhorse, so you know what your cost will be before finalizing any orders either online or over the phone.
Change
Change is a sustainable shipping company that strives to reduce the carbon footprint of transportation.
- Change offers an eco-friendly, sustainable transport solution for all products and last-mile deliveries, including packaging materials.
- They offer services in domestic and international freight forwarding as well as project cargo management.
Change differentiates themselves by their mission to create sustainable solutions with “green” transportation practices through education on how to help minimize pollution from global trade.
The change was founded by a sustainable transport veteran, John Corrigan. John’s background is in sustainable freight forwarding and project cargo management with LDV Logistics, one of the largest transportation companies in North America. In his time there, he helped build out what many consider the world’s most sustainable logistics company operating today. At Chanje, he has scaled down operations significantly yet still manages some large projects around the globe -partially due to their innovative new packaging materials that can reduce emissions up to 80%.
For every container that ships with green products from China using Chanje as a shipper, they can create about 150 jobs within three months in an affected community near ports or inland centers that are struggling with unemployment.
Uber
Many people today have probably heard about the success of Uber. They are a company that is best known for sending customers from location to location with just one touch on their smartphone, but they aren’t short on potential variations. Recently we saw them launch into food delivery and trucking services as well! The question remains: how will ridesharing companies like Uber provide electric cars in their fleet? It could be soon when you order an uber EATS meal, or even if there’s no human driver involved in your freight hauling, service-we’ll see what it looks like next time.
Convoy
Convoy is a sustainable shipping company that has been operating since 2012. They have offices in Los Angeles, CA, and Brooklyn, NY.
Convoy’s goal is to “build the world’s most sustainable transportation system.” Their slogan for their service is “Delivery with Purpose.” Convoy can save over 30 million gallons of fuel by cutting down on cargo trucks driving long distances every day.
The average customer saves $500 per year because of lower packaging costs at Convoy than other companies. The branding says that it can be used as an alternative form of freight delivery while reducing carbon emissions from trucking and saving money all around.
Convoy is sustainable because they have an efficient system of distributing goods. They rely on technology to provide the most accurate routes for trucks, which saves fuel and lessens the risk of accidents.
Transfix
Transfiksx is a sustainable, modern, and eco-friendly shipping company. They try to minimize the environmental impact of their products by giving customers access to sustainable packaging materials such as reusable containers and boxes made with sustainable sources like bamboo or cardboard from 100% recycled fibers.
Transfix also offers an innovative recycling program to take back any unused product that was shipped in new Transfiks packaging for reuse.
Transfix’s sustainable shipping is good for the environment and customers looking to minimize their carbon footprint. Shipping with Transfiks allows you to be a conscious consumer and deliver your products in sustainable packaging made from sustainable materials that will last much longer than traditional disposable plastics or cardboard.
Walmart
For sustainable shipping, Walmart has partnered with DHL to bring sustainable delivery. This partnership creates a sustainable carbon footprint through recycled materials and avoids both plastic bags and styrofoam packaging. In addition, Walmart’s sustainability program brings solar panels to its stores in Texas, which will reduce energy consumption by 20% per year.
Walmart also has sustainable shipping options for customers who want to purchase items online as well. For an additional $25, Walmart offers free two-day delivery with a minimum order of $35 and 40% less packaging materials than traditional carriers by using sustainable cardboard boxes that can be reused up to six times before being recycled. They also offer Same Day Delivery through their grocery pickup service, which is the quickest way for those in urban areas to get groceries on-demand without having them delivered or picked up at home.
Best Practices for Sustainable Shipping
Best Practices for sustainable shipping include making sure that you know the amount of fuel it takes to ship an item. Sending a package by air is significantly more expensive than shipping one by boat, train, or truck. That being said, if your need dictates using planes and trains, then this has to be considered to keep costs down. It also means that larger items should be shipped via rail rather than plane as these vehicles use less energy per unit volume transported on land-based transport routes.
The next best practice would be checking with your freight forwarder about their sustainability practices, including reducing packaging, recycling used boxes/bags, and selecting suppliers who have sustainable manufacturing processes from sustainable materials like recycled content paper products or bamboo textiles.
The next sustainable shipping best practice would be to use a freight forwarding company that is also sustainable, which can include using sustainable modes of transport like rail and sea. Choosing this option will ensure the least impact on your carbon footprint while keeping your cost down as well.
How to Make Sure Your Brand is Being Sustainably Shipped
To make sure your brand is sustainable shipping, there are several steps you should take. When looking at your packaging and labeling processes, ask yourself if the materials needed to create them can be reused or recycled when they’re no longer usable. It’s also important to look for ways that your company can cut down on its carbon footprint by reducing fuel consumption costs and emissions from vehicles used in distribution centers.
When it comes to transporting goods via airplane, try choosing carriers who use sustainable fuels instead of traditional jet fuel. Finally, make sure any products purchased during production have been responsibly sourced from sustainable sources such as organic cotton grown without pesticides, palm oil harvested sustainably, paper made with recycled content, or sustainable fishing methods.
The sustainable shipping process is easier than ever. When looking for sustainable methods, there are several different ways you can make sure that your company is being sustainable.
Final Verdict,
When you purchase products online, it’s important to make sure that they’re being shipped sustainably. That means the product was packaged responsibly and shipped with care not to damage or waste any material. It also means that all packaging materials are recyclable at the end of their life cycle instead of ending up in landfills. Sustainable shipping ensures your brand is making an environmentally conscious choice for its customers.
