From a carbon emissions point-of-view, is it better to buy products online or in a store? You probably guessed the former -- and if so, you’re right, according to a new study.
The National Retail Federation conducted a survey late last month in which it asked consumers about their anticipated spending over the Thanksgiving weekend. The results showed that, on average, consumers would spend $343 inside stores and $104 through online purchases. Researchers used these numbers to calculate that the negative environmental impact of an in-store purchase made on Black Friday is 50 times that of an online purchase made on Cyber Monday.
In more general terms, the study found that carbon emissions related to purchasing an item inside a store represents an increase of more than 15 times that of an online purchase.