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E-commerce transactions continue to evolve, with the average number of products per order reaching **** in April 2026. This figure highlights the growing consumer preference for bundling purchases in online shopping. As e-commerce expands, so does its environmental impact, prompting concerns about sustainability in the digital retail landscape. 

Environmental costs of e-commerce

The environmental toll of e-commerce is set to increase significantly in urban areas by 2030. Projections indicate that delivery fleets could grow to *** million vehicles, generating ** million metric tons of carbon emissions from parcel and freight shipping. This surge in e-commerce activity is expected to extend average commute times, including last-mile delivery, from ** minutes in 2019 to ** minutes by 2030.

E-commerce's carbon footprint

As the e-commerce sector grapples with its environmental impact, some progress is being made. The volume of returned merchandise in U.S. landfills, which nearly doubled between 2020 and 2021 to **** million tons, saw a slight decline in 2022. Similarly, greenhouse gas emissions from transporting returns decreased from ** million metric tons of CO2 in 2021 to under ** million metric tons in 2022.