Global Consumer Attitudes Towards Sustainable eCommerce: Delivery, Packaging, Country Preferences

Consumer Sustainability Attitudes in eCommerce: Key Insights

• Where Sustainability Is Most Important: The countries with the highest proportion of consumers who say sustainability is important to them when shopping online are Nigeria (89%), India (83%), and South Africa (80%). Consumers in these countries are also more likely to say they are willing to pay more for green delivery.

• Aversion Against Sustainability Surcharges: Across Europe, consumers are more likely to respond negatively when asked if they would be willing to pay extra for green delivery.

• Tracking Environmental Friendliness: The pattern continues with preferences for tracking the environmental friendliness of their delivery. The top countries for this service are Nigeria (77%), Turkey (77%) and India.

Sustainability in eCommerce – is it possible to combine the two as online shopping continues to grow around the world? An increase in the number of eCommerce orders means an increase in the number of deliveries, which has a negative impact on the environment in terms of CO2 emissions. Waste is also on the rise, both in terms of packaging and breakage. 

However, there are more sustainable alternatives for delivery and eCommerce packaging, although they tend to cost more than traditional packaging. From a global perspective, what are the most prevalent preferences for sustainability in different countries?

In Which Countries Is Sustainable eCommerce Most Important to Consumers?

DHL’s Purchasing Behavior Report in its 2024 Online Shopper Trends series asked online shoppers in 24 countries about their preferences for sustainability. Below is a top list of countries where most shoppers say sustainability is "very" or "fairly" important to them.

• Top Three Rankings: Nigeria ranks first, with 89% expressing a high preference for sustainability in online shopping. India (83%) and South Africa (80%) follow. 

• Ranks 4 to 8: Below the 80% threshold are Thailand (77%), Turkey (73%), Brazil (72%) and the United Arab Emirates (71%). Malaysia ranks eighth (67%). 

• Rankings 9 to 10: While Argentina stands alone in ninth place with 62% of consumers expressing a high preference for sustainable eCommerce, three countries share the tenth: China, France and Italy. They all match the global average of 59%.

But what exactly makes eCommerce sustainable? A key aspect is delivery, including the type of vehicle used for last-mile delivery, optimization of shipping routes, and surcharges for investment in carbon offset projects.

In which parts of the world are consumers most likely to make a financial contribution for sustainability?

Countries Where Consumers Are Most Likely to Pay for Green Delivery

When asked if they would be willing to pay more for green delivery, these are the countries where respondents were most likely to say "always" or "sometimes".

• Ranks 1 to 4: The first four ranks are at a similar level, ranging from 87% of respondents in Thailand to 85% in India, 84% in Nigeria, and 83% in the United Arab Emirates. 

• Rank 5 to 7: Morocco follows in fifth place, with 76% of users willing to pay extra for sustainable delivery, followed by Turkey with the same percentage. Germany is a little further down the list, with 64% of consumers. 

• Equal Shares at the Bottom: Austria, Sweden and Italy all have 53%.

On the other hand, there are also countries where respondents are less enthusiastic about green delivery options if they have to pay extra. Here are the most critical.

Consumers in the Czech Republic Least Likely to Pay Extra for Green Delivery Options

When asked the same question as in the previous section, "Would you be willing to pay more for 'green' delivery?", the following countries were most likely to answer "never":

• Rank 1 to 3: Consumers in the Czech Republic were the most likely to say they'd never pay more for green delivery, at 57%. This was followed by Canada and the Netherlands, both at 55%. 

• Fourth Through Sixth Spots: Poland and France are tied at 53%. Next, 50% of respondents in Spain said they'd never pay extra for green delivery. 

• Bottom Rankings: Less than 50% of respondents in the United States (45%), Argentina (43%), Australia (40%), and Brazil (31%) said they would never pay extra for "green" delivery.

Of those consumers who are in favor of green delivery, there is a preference to see what they are paying for:

A Global Average of 54% of Users Want to See How Green Their Delivery Is

Of the countries where online shoppers say they want to see how green their delivery is, the list largely corresponds to the first section, which discusses the importance of sustainability in eCommerce is discussed.

• Shared First Spots: Nigeria and Turkey share the top two spots, with 77% of consumers saying they want to see how green their delivery is. 

• Third to Sixth Place: India ranks third (73%), followed by Brazil and the United Arab Emirates, both with 72%. Morocco ranks sixth (67%). 

• Seventh and below: At the bottom of the list are Malaysia with 62%, China and Thailand have both 60% and Argentina 58%. The global average is below this at 54%.

Since paying additional charges is generally an uncomfortable topic for consumers, what percentage of consumers are willing to pay extra for packaging?

Most Consumers Are Willing to Pay Sometimes for Sustainable Packaging

On a global scale, the question is whether consumers are willing to pay extra for environmentally friendly packaging. The most common answer is "sometimes", with 42% of consumers agreeing. However, consumers are more likely to say "never" (36%) than "always" (21%).

DHL advises including sustainable packaging in pre-determined price ranges to avoid asking consumers to pay extra. In Europe in particular, consumers are more likely to say they would never pay a premium for sustainable packaging, with an average of 47%. This rises to 56% in France and the Netherlands, followed by 50% in Italy and Spain.

Consumer Attitudes Toward Sustainable eCommerce: Closing Remarks

Consumer preferences for sustainability vary globally, with online shoppers in some countries expressing more enthusiasm for it than others. A common pattern is that consumers in growth markets like Thailand, India and Nigeria tend to have the highest willingness to pay extra for green delivery options. On the other hand, consumers in Europe are less likely to agree with surcharges for sustainability. 

The emerging country trends indicate that in markets where eCommerce is in its expansion phase, consumers are inclined to express more willingness to contribute. That enthusiasm seems to fizzle out with growing eCommerce maturity. But there are certainly other factors contributing to these effects, like survey methodology and individual and cultural factors. 

Sources: DHL