The age of online shopping posed new questions for environmentalists — what’s the most ethical, eco-conscious way to shop? Which is greener, shopping on the internet or at a brick-and-mortar store? One big factor is the adverse impact of delivery transportation.
Expedited transportation uses up more resources, compounding the toxic influence of deliveries. Cities must find a way to provide the convenience consumers want with at-door service without the negative environmental repercussions of energy overuse.
Acknowledging the “Last Mile”
Industry professionals debate online vs. in-store shopping largely because of the resource-intensive path goods take from the last warehouse to the customer, known as the “last mile.” The final trek potentially uses more resources and emits more carbon emissions than the rest of the process.
Customers may believe delivery is better than using fossil fuels in their own vehicles. However, the fuel is simply used elsewhere or intensified due to circumstances like incorrect drops, returns, or delayed deliveries.
Cities acknowledge the “last mile” by requiring compliance and increasing investments for geographically relevant businesses that frequently deliver in the area. New York City is attempting to pilot a program that would maximize the value of its curbs. Delivery trucks would connect with microhubs that use low-energy and safer transportation methods to rectify the last-mile problem by finishing the job for truck drivers.
The city encourages these efforts to bolster local economies, as small and large businesses, like florists or restaurants, benefit from increasing their delivery footprint and output time.
Low-Emissions Delivery Alternatives
The U.S. committed to having an all-electric postal fleet by 2026, reducing trucks’ strain on the planet. However, customers still expect speedy deliveries, which still puts pressure on electric vehicles (EVs). Companies will need to supplement their efforts with drones and robots.
The advent of one-day shipping forces entire vehicles to transport below their standard load, wasting more resources to fulfill nearly unrealistic deliverables. Less energy-intensive drones could be the happy medium between instant gratification and lower-carbon delivery footprints. Drones could fly or operate on-ground, but the supply chain and manufacturing process for these intricate, remote-operated robots have an overreliance on precious metals and fossil fuels. These upstream realities should shift to greener methodologies for drones to be more energy efficient.
In addition to leveraging tech, companies like Deliveroo employ cyclists to make their deliveries — which requires cities to institute more safe bike routes and racking systems. Local businesses can source no-emissions delivery to reduce transportation impact and fuel use. These methods use less energy while emitting no pollutants and increasing job availability for a side hustle-reliant culture.
Coordinating Collaboration
Cities are making their impact on more energy-efficient delivery by aligning cross-sector priorities. City officials and project managers must connect to supply chains, transportation professionals, city planners and countless other stakeholders to navigate the complexities of solving delivery transportation challenges. When every silo operates uniquely with varying corporate social responsibility goals, finding a way to make them cohesive is an illuminating task.
Cross-sector cooperation is essential for scaling energy-efficient deliveries. The changes cannot happen overnight, nor will all the methods cities brainstorm work in practice. Projects like complete streets that design cities for all modes of transportation are less-acknowledged ways to reduce long-term energy use. Citizens and businesses will have more options for servicing customers. Providing more space for pedestrians and bikes encourages reduced energy use outside of deliveries, increasing the impact of the intent of fixing less-green delivery methods.
These successes eventually garner the notice of federal governments and other global powers. Especially if cities employ technology, like Internet of Things (IoT) devices to gather metrics, the data speaks for itself when vying for financial commitments for further urban and transportation development.
Making Convenient Delivery Eco-Friendly
Reducing energy use for the ever-growing demand for fast package delivery provides insight into how greener cities unfold. A surface-level assessment would assume only the transportation sector would have drastic changes, but they connect to tech, engineers, public officials and local business owners to succeed. Services will evolve as productive discourse focuses on myriad strategies for managing demand and economic betterment.