While the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly created challenges for businesses over the past two years, out of those struggles emerged the acceleration of ecommerce. Never has it been easier to order your groceries, pet supplies, or even your favorite beverages to your door, as businesses have enhanced delivery options to match consumer needs.
But convenience sometimes has a cost, and it is important to recognize the impact this change has had on our environment. Increased delivery volumes mean more trucks on the road to make deliveries and ultimately more CO2 released into the atmosphere. So—how can ecommerce merchants work to mitigate these effects and offer environmentally-friendly alternatives for consumers?
Corso makes it clear that they are committed to making the world a greener place.
Key takeaways
- It’s crucial to recognize the impact ecommerce growth has had on the environment.
- Merchants can offer carbon-neutral subscription services to consumers with apps.
- Sharing your environmental initiatives with consumers can increase brand loyalty.
Carbon-neutral subscription services
Recharge has partnered with apps like EcoCart, Corso, Ecodrive and Stripe Climate to give merchants the opportunity to offer carbon-neutral subscription services to consumers or to purchase carbon removal. EcoCart, Corso, and Ecodrive lets consumers elect to purchase carbon offsets on their subscription order—giving them the convenience of regularly scheduled deliveries without the same environmental impact. Stripe Climate allows merchants to automatically contribute a fraction of their revenue to scaling new carbon removal technologies which are critical for helping to stop climate change.
“A recent study shows that over 60% of US consumers list sustainability as a factor when making a purchase, with 42% stating they are willing to pay for sustainable options. As corporate social responsibility continues to gain awareness and influence consumers’ sentiment towards brands, it is even more important to find ways to support our environment, as well as our community, for the sake of future generations.”
—Leya Leydiker, Director of Technology Partnerships at Recharge
The EcoCart website showcases just how easy it is for merchants to add carbon-neutral options to their subscription services.
One-click integration
Offering carbon-neutral subscription services doesn’t have to be hard. With these apps, integration is easy for you and easy for your customers. Give customers the option to make their order carbon-neutral at checkout and you’ll immediately begin to see an impact. Apps like Ecodrive use “an EPA-backed calculator to find the emissions from each shipment from your online store. Using inputs like mode of transportation, weight of package, and distance allows us to determine the CO2 number.”
Sharing the impact with customers
For merchants looking to share their sustainability measures with customers—which has been shown to create trust and attract consumers who are environmentally conscious—many of these apps offer the ability to track the impact you’re making. Showcasing this information on your website or in customer communications can make a great impression on new and existing customers.
As Ecodrive has done on their website, merchants can easily demonstrate how environmentally conscious they are with stats gleaned from these apps.
Subscriptions & social responsibility
Along with creating opportunities for merchants to offset their carbon footprint, there are apps that consider social responsibility as part of the purchasing journey. Offering opportunities for a discounted order, or to give back when making a purchase, shows that your brand values helping others.
Environmental benefits of subscriptions
Even if consumers choose not to elect for the carbon offsets option, there are still environmental benefits to offering subscriptions versus one-time purchases. Subscriptions help merchants predict future demand, allowing them to anticipate logistical requirements, which can eliminate unnecessary or expedited shipping expenses. Notifications of upcoming subscription deliveries and add-on/upsell options can also drive additional revenue while allowing the merchant to ship multiple products at once, removing the need for a second delivery.
Subscriptions have always been a great tool to increase customer loyalty and predict future revenues, but with integrations with companies like EcoCart, Corso, Ecodrive, and Govx, subscriptions can also be a driver for a brighter, more sustainable future.
Interested in learning more about tech partners that integrate with Recharge? Browse our integrations directory.
