Shopping online, simple and quick, has become a daily habit. However, behind this convenience lies a considerable ecological impact. The transport and packaging of parcels weigh heavily on the planet, as journalist Simon Ricottier explains.
In just two decades, the volume of parcels delivered in France has nearly tripled, rising from 600 million to 1.7 billion per year. This explosion is driven by the rapid rise of online commerce, accessible at any hour, allowing orders for everything and anything, from clothing to electronic devices, with delivery often within a week.
The phenomenon is reinforced by falling prices on certain platforms, particularly Asian ones like SheIn or Temu. These players, which accounted for only 5% of parcels handled by La Poste in 2020, now represent 22%.
This boom has a significant environmental cost. The transport of parcels, whether by plane, boat, or truck, is responsible for massive CO2 emissions. In France, delivery generates more than 2 million tons of carbon dioxide each year, equivalent to the annual emissions of the entire population of the city of Rennes.
Moreover, the waste associated with packaging is considerable. On average, a parcel is made up of 80% cardboard and 20% plastic, with often half of the volume taken up by empty space. These single-use packages are typically discarded after three days.
In light of these findings, the question arises: how can we reconcile our appetite for online consumption with the urgent need to reduce our ecological footprint?