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Online shopping is a convenient marvel of the digital age. But are there ways to make those services more effective, efficient and ultimately more sustainable?

Produced by Jeff Sandhu for BFM89.9

Episode Sources:
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24332460-800-guilt-free-online-shopping-is-possible-if-we-reinvent-home-delivery/

EPISODE EXCERPT

Shopping Online. Most of us have done it. The convenience of buying with a click and having that product delivered to your door is one of the minor miracles of the digital age. But have you stopped to think about the impact your shopping habits are having on the environment? Or even if the current system of online retail is remotely efficient. Someone who is definitely overthinking it is MSP’s Matt Armitage.

What’s your problem with home delivery?
Yesterday I had deliveries from the Post Office, a food delivery service, a local online retailer and an overseas online retailer.
That’s two bikes and two vans.
That’s kind of an average day. But you can pretty much live off online purchases.
A friend was recently hurt in a fall - fortunately he’s healing now.
He lives alone, so in between visits from friends, he had to bring in everything by delivery.

Surely that’s a good thing?
You know what my answer’s going to be, don’t you?

Yes and No? Because you’re boring and predictable?
[Pause]
As Jeff knows, in radioland we use silence to denote displeasure.
You say boring and predictable.
I say nuanced.

Isn’t nuanced another way of saying talking nonsense?
Take the nonsense out of these shows and all you’re left with is some ad breaks.
Can I go on?

Sure. If I wasn’t here I’d have to do some actual work…
To answer your question.

Your question…
Ok. To answer my own question.
It’s amazing that we can pick up a phone, open an app, and as long as we have the money, buy pretty much anything we need - or want.
It’s incredible - and slightly odd - that I can buy a boiled egg or a can of soda and have that single item delivered to my house within minutes.
It’s hard to believe that buying things used to be such a hassle.

When you were a kid?
It’s not that long ago…
And it wasn’t that backward.
Not like we existed god’s lovely turnip, maggoty bread and devil’s dumplings, to paraphrase Blackadder and Lord of the Rings.
But that’s what makes it so remarkable that things have changed so fast.
As a kid a lot of the stores in my town closed at lunchtime for an hour, finished up their working day by 5pm, closed at midday on Wednesdays and Saturdays and all day on Sunday.
It’s a wonder we even managed to eat.
I think the supermarket opened till about 7pm and we had sundry stores that opened till 9.