E-commerce growth changes material flows and energy use across supply chains, producing distinct environmental effects tied to packaging volume, transport emissions, and waste management. Susan M. Selke at Michigan State University has analyzed how online retail often increases protective and secondary packaging, raising material intensity per item compared with many brick-and-mortar purchases. The result is more single-use wrapping, fillers, and small-format plastics that challenge existing recycling systems.
Packaging, materials, and waste streams
Materials used for e-commerce packaging—corrugated board, plastics, bubble wrap, and mixed-material pouches—drive outcomes at end of life. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation identifies rigid single-use plastics and composite materials as major obstacles to a circular economy because they are difficult to recycle and prone to environmental leakage. Where municipal recycling and collection systems are limited, packaging that might be recovered in one country becomes pollution in another, amplifying marine and terrestrial litter and undermining local waste management.
Fulfillment centers and transport emissions
Warehouse operations, cold-chain requirements for some goods, and accelerated shipping options concentrate energy use in fulfillment. The International Energy Agency reports that growth in e-commerce contributes to higher demand for freight and urban deliveries, particularly in last-mile transport. Last-mile delivery is energy-intensive per parcel and exacerbates traffic congestion and air pollution in dense urban areas, with disproportionate health and noise impacts on communities near distribution hubs.
Returns, consumer behavior, and systemic consequences
High return rates for apparel and electronics create extra transport cycles and duplicated packaging, increasing emissions and disposal. Cultural expectations of fast, free delivery and convenient returns incentivize inventory strategies and delivery options that raise carbon intensity. Territorial differences matter: regions with advanced sorting infrastructure can recover more material value, while many low- and middle-income countries face direct environmental harm from unmanaged waste and informal recycling conditions.
Experts emphasize design and systemic responses: Susan M. Selke at Michigan State University recommends material substitution and design for recyclability, while the Ellen MacArthur Foundation promotes reuse models and standardized packaging to reduce waste and ease recovery. Addressing these impacts involves aligning consumer incentives, logistics optimization, and investment in local circular infrastructure so that the convenience of e-commerce does not translate into persistent environmental and social costs.