Online Market And Environmental Sustainability: Compatibility And Remedies. CarbonFootprint Between Purchase In Person And HOME Delivery (Case Study)

Variability in consumer practices and choices is typically not addressed in comparisons of environmental impacts of traditional shopping and e-commerce. Here, we developed an analytical model to quantify the variability in the Carbon footprints of product distribution and purchase of nine products category via two prevalent retail channels in the city of Torino. We found that shopping online most likely decreases the Carbon footprints when substituting traditional shopping, while products purchased through traditional retail often have higher Carbon footprints compared to those purchased via traditional retail. The number of items purchased, and the last-mile travel distance are the dominant contributors to the variability in the Carbon footprints of the two retail channels. We further showed the differences in the Carbon footprints for a different nine categories and how the consumer choices change these emissions. Finally, a sensitivity analysis showed how major savings on Carbon footprints can be achieved by changing some of the model parameters.