Ship Green Gives Retailers Easy Offset Options

The shipping industry has started to get on board with more sustainable practices, like UPS who trucks no longer turn left to save gas. Now a smart entrepreneur has launched Shipgreen.net, a web-based service that integrates with retailers’ online shopping carts, calculates emissions from shipping and allows consumers to offset the carbon produced.

The program is the result of the research by Dr. Arpad Horvath of UC Berkeley and Dr. Cristiano Facanha of ICF International. Together, the two developed the algorithm that determines the carbon footprint from the manufacture of a product to its delivery at a consumer’s door. Because the algorithm is so accurate, the average cost for an offset is only 29 to 49 cents. – EL

The system seems to be ultra user-friendly and a great way for online retailers to have a more sustainable business without a lot of effort or cost. I’m always a little hesitant about offsets in general but in this case I think it makes a lot of sense.

What do you think? Would you incorporate this into your online business?

Also check out The Year Ahead with Jason Sperling, ShipGreen co-founder and CEO. triplepundit also has a nice writeup on ShipGreen.

Via EL