Cons of online holiday shopping | So Good News

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — When shopping for the holidays, maybe your driveway or driveway is filled with trucks bringing goods to you and your neighbors. It appears that these vehicles are emitting carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides along with online regulations.

Is there a way to find the convenience and savings of online shopping without harming the environment? Consumer Reports has tips for making your online shopping a little greener.

Sure, maybe having Amazon Prime or Walmart+ means you don’t have to pay for express shipping, but the natural cost of getting goods from a warehouse to your door can be high. Trucks and vans are estimated to produce more greenhouse gas emissions annually than burning 4.5 billion pounds of coal. And this is not only bad for the environment. Consumer Reports says it’s dangerous for us, too.

If you breathe in the fumes from passing cars and delivery trucks, the tiny particles can trigger asthma. And they can contribute to heart disease or cancer, according to years of studies. Children and the elderly are especially vulnerable.

FedEx, Amazon and UPS have plans to roll out electric delivery trucks, but that will take years. But there are some things you can do now to lessen the impact of online holiday shopping on your family.

First, look at how and when you click “buy,” and plan to avoid ordering one item. It is recommended that you combine your shipments into one order and select the lowest available shipping option. This helps companies to keep fewer vans on the road. Or instead of choosing to ship, pick up your parcel from a nearby location such as a UPS store or Amazon locker. This reduces the number of individual deliveries that large vans need to make.

And remember that shopping local this holiday season is a great way to support local businesses and the environment, especially if you leave the car at home. Walking, biking, or taking public transportation to the store can help reduce the environmental impact of your purchases.

There’s another benefit to reducing all online orders: You’ll also reduce the number of shipping boxes and bags arriving at your front door that you’ll need to recycle!

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