Environmental labels in e-commerce

Abstract

Increasing share of e-commerce in the sale of consumer goods has prompted considerations regarding the environmental aspects of these transactions. The selection and purchase process resulting from the specificity of shopping through websites and phone applications differs significantly from the one that takes place in traditional trade. Among other things, it is worth emphasizing the limitations in becoming acquainted with the product, its packaging and accompanying information. Various efforts that have been made so far in terms of forming the principles of ecolabelling and eco-merchandising seem to be of little use in online commerce. In view of these challenges, the aim of the study was to analyze the presence of environmental product labelling systems in selected countries, focusing on how they could support the promotion of products with a reduced environmental impact through e-commerce. The research question was to determine how diverse are the environmental labelling systems that can be used in e-commerce?The online desk research method was used to achieve the aim of the study and to answer the research question. The conducted analysis has shown a particularly broad range of environmental labelling systems already present on the markets worldwide. Most ecolabels are found in the USA and Canada. The most popular groups of products that are subject to ecological certification include: food, building products and textiles. The research has revealed several ecolabelling systems that can be used in e-commerce to promote products with a reduced environmental impact. This wide range, however, may lead to blurred recognition of ecolabels in e-commerce, but on the other hand, it may also result in a better adjustment of the assessment criteria to the specificity of various consumer products.