Go Green, Shop Online

With technology evolving each day, everything seems to be moving too fast. What’s the need of waking up, taking a shower and dressing up to go buy groceries while you can just order online? Running errands has become so easy that it is almost scary to think of a life without an online marketplace.

The convenience of delivery, wider selection options and lower prices has attracted people to online shopping. An increasing amount of people are camping out in front of their computers clicking around online retailers like Kaymu and Jumia to get the best deals, but do they really  know how much good they are doing to the environment?

Consumers are becoming more and more aware of environmental changes in the atmosphere, therefore opting for safer and convenient ways of saving time and energy and increasing productivity. But, doing your part to ‘go green’ can mean more than just choosing to carry a cloth bag over using plastic ones available in the stores.

When shopping online, one does not need to drive or commute to the store, therefore saving on Carbon dioxide emissions. A case in point, you are in the middle of cooking dinner and you run out of cooking gas, so you buy online! You have not only saved energy and time, but you have also saved on the gases and emission that would have come out of driving or commuting all the way to the supermarket. Online shopping has an advantage over traditional shopping in which more energy is used on transport and also walking around the store to pick specifically what you need.

Online payment channels, such as Kaymu Safe Pay, aid in the consumer buying process, reducing uncertainties and saving considerable travel cost and time. This practice avoids sending payment checks in the mail therefore saving on paper usage and travel cost.

A conventional shop needs to have electricity, water, air conditioning and also decorations to catch the eye of the customers. Online shoppers can order the products they need directly from the warehouse which does not need all the glitz and fixtures. Orders are delivered to their doorstep alongside other deliveries again saving on energy and time. An online shop also reduces on warehouse space requirements which in turn reduces the amount of energy required to build. This decrease in energy could lead to fewer power plants being constructed.

Steve Momanyi, Head of Sellers at Kaymu Kenya says, “people should understand the impact of their energy consumption and should look for ways to be more efficient in their usage. Online shopping reduces the amount of energy and material consumed by businesses and consumers at large hence increasing overall productivity.”

So, the next time you are cuddled up in bed and looking for an excuse not to go the shop, remember those words and click away!