Close Menu
The Baylor Lariat
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
    Trending
    • No. 15 Baylor volleyball sweeps Houston despite error-filled night
    • YAC ‘em up: Baylor receivers star for Big 12’s top passing offense
    • Bailey Warren steps up as top attacker, freshman leader for No. 15 Baylor volleyball
    • What to wear to ACL 2025
    • Carr drives cultural continuity for Baylor MBB
    • Bear 32 ‘Chunk’ overcomes broken jaw to win Fat Bear Week
    • ‘Exploding Kittens’ to blowing up TikTok: How NoRo food reviewers rose to fame
    • New medical director to bring ‘service, science, commitment to gospel’
    • About us
      • Fall 2025 Staff Page
      • Copyright Information
    • Contact
      • Contact Information
      • Letters to the Editor
      • Subscribe to The Morning Buzz
      • Department of Student Media
    • Employment
    • PDF Archives
    • RSS Feeds
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
    The Baylor LariatThe Baylor Lariat
    Subscribe to the Morning Buzz
    Thursday, October 2
    • News
      • State and National News
        • State
        • National
      • Politics
        • 2025 Inauguration Page
        • Election Page
      • Homecoming Page
      • Baylor News
      • Waco Updates
      • Campus and Waco Crime
    • Arts & Life
      • Wedding Edition 2025
      • What to Do in Waco
      • Campus Culture
      • Indy and Belle
      • Sing 2025
      • Leisure and Travel
        • Leisure
        • Travel
          • Baylor in Ireland
      • Student Spotlight
      • Local Scene
        • Small Businesses
        • Social Media
      • Arts and Entertainment
        • Art
        • Fashion
        • Food
        • Literature
        • Music
        • Film and Television
    • Opinion
      • Editorials
      • Points of View
      • Lariat Letters
    • Sports
      • March Madness 2025
      • Football
      • Basketball
        • Men’s Basketball
        • Women’s Basketball
      • Soccer
      • Baseball
      • Softball
      • Volleyball
      • Equestrian
      • Cross Country and Track & Field
      • Acrobatics & Tumbling
      • Tennis
      • Golf
      • Pro Sports
      • Sports Takes
      • Club Sports
    • Lariat TV News
    • Multimedia
      • Video Features
      • Podcasts
        • Don’t Feed the Bears
      • Slideshows
    • Advertising
    The Baylor Lariat
    Home»Opinion

    Recognize environmental impact of online shopping

    Claire BostonBy Claire BostonNovember 20, 2018 Opinion No Comments3 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    By Claire Boston | Multimedia Journalist

    We’ve all been there: You have a book you need to read in three days, but all the stores are sold out. You have a project due next class, and you need one last piece, except it cannot be found at your local craft store. Or maybe you got bored during your history lecture so you browsed around some online shops and stumbled upon a pair of boots you have to have. All of these dilemmas have one easy solution: You place on order online and check two-day shipping.

    As a society, we have grown to cherish convenience and speed. With advances in technology, more and more jobs can now be done from home. Many grocery stores — including HEB — now offer a curbside service, where customers can place an order ahead and pick up their groceries on their way home from work instead of going inside and waiting in the checkout line. The world we live in is a fast-paced one. We have high-speed internet, and breaking news can reach millions of people in a matter of seconds. We can place an order online in just a few minutes. Consequentially, consumers have become increasingly more impatient.

    It is no surprise that online shopping has seen an increase in the last few years with the introduction of Amazon Prime, which offers free two-day shipping on online orders. Additionally, monthly delivery services like Birchbox and the Dollar Shave Club and meal delivery services like Hello Fresh have contributed to the surge in online shipments.

    With growth in online shopping has come an increase in the amount of cardboard in circulation.

    Buzzfeed News says not all consumers know how to break down cardboard boxes, so that more can fit in the recycling bin. Because consumers are unable to fit all their cardboard into the recycling bin, a large portion ends up in the trash can and, subsequently, a landfill.

    According to NBC News, the increase in online shipments has changed the color of the material from gray to brown at recycling centers. Most recycled material used to be from newspapers and magazines but is now from cardboard. Surprisingly, consumers are actually recycling less despite the increase in online shopping and the excess amounts of cardboard at recycling centers. NBC says this could be caused by consumer confusion over what is actually recyclable.

    Although online shopping is still on the rise and does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon, there is hope. A small number of stores like the Package Free Shop have committed to reducing their environmental footprints. The Package Free Shop ships orders to their customers in 100 percent plastic-free, post-consumer shipping boxes. Furthermore, they include a note (on recycled paper, of course) that encourages customers to reuse the shipping box or break it down and recycle it. Despite the evidence of the negative environmental consequences of online shopping, the number of online sales continues to rise. The have-to-have-it-now mentality has wedged its way into many consumers’ minds. Instead of browsing the aisles, we are browsing on our phones and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Next time you need a new pair of shoes or a book for class, consider putting down your phone and going to a brick-and-mortar store to purchase the item instead. You will prevent one less cardboard box from being created, plus we could all stand to have more technology-free human interaction in our lives.

    Claire Boston

    Keep Reading

    The joke that ignited the country

    Not every hobby has to be a hustle

    Navigating academics with chronic illness

    Baylor must prepare us for life outside its bubble

    Stop trying to rationalize suffering

    The cost of fame is too high for fans to bear

    Add A Comment

    Comments are closed.

    Recent Posts
    • No. 15 Baylor volleyball sweeps Houston despite error-filled night October 1, 2025
    • YAC ‘em up: Baylor receivers star for Big 12’s top passing offense October 1, 2025
    About

    The award-winning student newspaper of Baylor University since 1900.

    Articles, photos, and other works by staff of The Baylor Lariat are Copyright © Baylor® University. All rights reserved.

    Subscribe to the Morning Buzz

    Get the latest Lariat News by just Clicking Subscribe!

    Follow the Live Coverage
    Tweets by @bulariat

    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
    • Featured
    • News
    • Sports
    • Opinion
    • Arts and Life
    © 2025 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.