How to Make Your B2C Business Sustainable

Demand for sustainable goods is rising as more and more consumers are becoming environmentally aware. Many brands too are responding to this trend by phasing out environmentally damaging manufacturing and distribution methods. To add to it, sustainable items are preferred by 62% of Millennial and Gen Z buyers^[1] over environmentally deteriorating ones.

According to a recent survey^[2], more than a third of buyers (37%) now base their purchasing decisions on a retailer's ethical and sustainability practices, while 67% say they are more concerned about the environmental impact of the things they buy today than they were five years ago. Naturally, it is important for all B2B and B2C business owners to make sustainability an integral part of their supply chain and logistics. 

Continue reading on to know how business owners can make their business and logistics operations more sustainable.

1. Consider switching to eco-friendly packaging materials

You may have noticed customers posting images of their little items coming flooded in superfluous and needless boxes and layers of wrapping. This has become a common package shaming trend on social media. Therefore, to avoid embarrassment, businesses should start exploring plastic-free, ecological packaging choices.

Besides, eco-friendly packaging helps reduce the carbon footprint. These packages emit less carbon emissions during production and are made from highly recyclable materials, thus reducing your use of high-energy resources.

2. Calculate the emissions

You can only create sustainable goals if you know where your company stands. Planetly's Climate Impact Manager tool^[3] can assist you in identifying your top emission hotspots and compare them to your competitors. This will help you in making changes in your business operations and switching to renewable energy sources.

3. Switching to electric transportation

Transportation is an important aspect of the e-commerce supply chain^[4]. But unfortunately, transportation activities end up accounting for 17% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, according to a report by Boston Consulting Group. This is where E-commerce companies can lessen the environmental impact of their delivery by teaming up with a logistics company that has a world-leading sustainability commitment. DHL Express, a leading global logistics company is all set to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. By using electric cars (EVs), DHL aims to electrify 60% of its last-mile services and have 80,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2030.

4. Plan more carbon offsetting schemes

As part of a global effort to reduce greenhouse gases, businesses must offset their carbon emissions for every purchase a consumer makes. One way to achieve this is by planting a tree to offset your purchase. In fact, today carbon offsetting schemes like these are becoming extremely prevalent for e-commerce enterprises to showcase their eco-credentials to customers.  

DHL Express, a multinational logistics company takes pride in providing climate-neutral services to its partners. Moreover, DHL's GoGreen green logistics programme aims to use the strengths of its people and partners while also utilising cutting-edge green technologies to have a long-term effect. Customers who take part in the programme receive GoGreen stickers to put on their shipments to show their support, as well as an annual certificate detailing the total amount of carbon dioxide they offset that year.

5. Simplify your returns process

As the COVID-19 pandemic affected the entire world and wreaked havoc on the economy, many industries that rely on touch and feel suffered significant losses. That was the case in the clothing and footwear sector. In fact, returns based on consumer preferences, such as size, style, fit, and so on, accounted for 72% of all returns. So, how do you reduce your returns rate? It’s simple.

Customers are more likely to maintain their purchases if they receive exactly what they expected, which is why accurate product descriptions, high-resolution videos and images are critical. If you sell apparel, you should look into augmented reality solutions that let clients digitally test on garments before purchasing them. 

Since returns is a self-service platform, it will create a QR code shipping label for your consumers (avoiding the use of paper), collect data on returns to assist you understand why particular things are being returned and then act on the feedback.

With DHL Express’s returns service, customers can create their return labels easily and free of cost and also drop off their returns at a local ServicePoint. From there, DHL will gather your packages and deliver them to you in one batch. Not only will this provide convenience to customers, but your organisation will also benefit from a more effective logistical procedure.

For more information, get in touch with our customer service agents.