| Packaging and Transport - Ordering Organic Food Via the Internet
We received a lovely big parcel yesterday, full of organic goodies. I was quite excited, as I had ordered a couple of new products. I did, however, feel a little guilty about having goods delivered to our door. What about the packaging? What about the environmental costs of the transportation?
I decided to have a look into the policies of a few well known eco/organic providers.
Abel and Cole are really great in that they collect all packaging from you and state that they reuse it (I even return the string). They also ‘experiment with alternative fuels for their vans’ and do not air freight. I wonder how many times a cardboard box can be reused - particularly as the vegetables are usually (and fantastically!) covered in soil. The reusable crates and ice-packs used for fridge and freezer items are a great idea.
Goodness Direct uses biodegradable or recyclable materials wherever possible, including the use of biodegradable corn chips which disintegrate on contact with moisture. I did an experiment to see if this was true, and they did need a bit of persuasion to disintegrate, but we got there in the end. Even the boxes for chilled and frozen items are 96% biodegradable.
Ethical Superstore use ‘fuel-efficient delivery organisations’ and give customers the opportunity to offset carbon emissions by donating £1.00 per order, which is used on eco-projects. I have also personally seen that their packaging is kept to a minimum and is recyclable.
These web-based businesses also don’t contribute to the issue of plastic bags, and should be more energy-efficient due to not running retail units. OK. My guilt has evaporated…particularly as I reuse all packaging myself too x
This post was submitted by Susannah.
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