Congrats on that Xmas gift – now think about the packaging waste

Online shopping feeds voracious consumer appetites but few consider that three billion trees are cut down yearly for packaging.

- David Fogarty

"Delivery!" The first of several pre-Christmas deliveries has arrived – a waffle maker. Don't laugh. I've always wanted one. I'm feeling pleased with myself. Normally, I am a confirmed in-store shopper. But this year, I embraced e-commerce as a quick and easy way to buy presents and other goodies. I've saved time and money, and it's convenient.

I also bought clothes, noise-cancelling headphones, a new backpack and a book via Amazon and Shopee. Most of the items arrived in separate boxes. The backpack arrived in a box inside a larger cardboard box. My credit card has taken a beating. But as I quickly found, it's easy to get carried away on a shopping high, finding deals that are hard to ignore and items that I never knew I needed.

BUYER'S REMORSE

But now I have buyer's remorse. Not for the goods I've bought. But because of all the packaging waste – a big pile of it. Some of it is recyclable, the remainder will likely be incinerated. Guilt, too, because I know my e-commerce escapade has been repeated by millions of people around the planet in recent weeks.

Billions of parcels will be delivered globally ahead of Christmas, testament to the vast, intricate logistics web that encircles the globe. Santa and his elves can only look on in wonder.

E-commerce sites are cleverly designed to lock on to customers' end-of-year shopping desires. Just a few taps on an app or clicks of a mouse will trigger a complex supply chain involving trucks, planes, warehouses and delivery vans to get items as quickly as possible into the hands of eager customers.

But the danger of this endless cycle is that it is feeding voracious consumer appetites for material goods with little heed for the environmental consequences.