The pandemic COVID-19 that has been going on for 2 years seems not find its bright spot yet. Instead of getting better, the pandemic has actually made various new virus variants appeared. Previously, it was known there was a delta, now there are an omicron and IHU.
These variants have definitely made all people in the world more careful when they want to leave the house – it also happened in Indonesia. Health protocols continue to be applied for all activities and PPKM rules are seems echoed again.
As we all know, during the pandemic and all its limitations, the intensity of human activities outside the house is much reduced. Working from home, studying from home, to shopping from home are a series of habit changes that occur in almost all levels of Indonesian society during the pandemic condition.
Especially in shopping habits, many Indonesians – both young and old, get used to shop from home using technology to meet their daily basis.
Increasing internet penetration and increasing smartphone ownership are some of the important factors that make online shopping habits in Indonesia intensively. However, if we examine further, this online shopping habits turns out to have its own impact on the environment.
This may seem insignificant, but if it is done continuously, there will be a really bad impacts that can be felt by everyone.
Some of our previous articles have mentioned topics such as the environment, ecosystem sustainability, to the Green Economy, that will continue to be discussed by various parties, including brands.
Then, what is the bad impact from massive online shopping habits to our environment?
One thing that is crystal clear is the amount of waste from the packaging of goods purchased by many people – especially Indonesian.
The usual package that we bought from marketplace often covered by cardboard boxes, bubble wrap, plastic, and other materials that ensure the goods can arrive safely to us.
These materials are a real threat to the environment.
So, How Immense Indonesian Online Shopping Activity?
Taking the example of DKI Jakarta, a metropolitan city that is full of the spotlight during the pandemic, most of its people reduce their physical shopping habits and replace it with online shopping way.
From the katadata site – referring to the results of the LIPI study, online shopping activities for DKI Jakarta people in the form of packages during the pandemic increased by 62%. The goods 96% are packaged using the materials that have been mentioned before.
If this case continues, the McKinsey Global Institute estimates an increment in plastic packaging waste to reach 7.5 million tons by 2030. This shows a real threat for our environment.
Are There Any Other Impacts?
In addition to the accumulation of online shopping packaging waste, there are other impacts that are no less threatening. Even this impact tends to be invisible and easily forgotten but no less dangerous.
The carbon footprint is one of the impacts resulting from the delivery of online shopping packages that use airplane, car, and motorcycle transportation.
The carbon footprint is the total amount of gas emissions, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, fluorocarbon gases, in which these substances cause global warming.
Then, How Brand Should Respond to This?
Still from the katadata site – in July 2021, environmental activists who were members of the Plastic Free Movement march encouraged e-commerce businesses, brands, MSMEs, and other related parties to reduce plastic use and other materials that harm the environment.
One of e-commerce companies responded to this by calling on its partners to use recycled materials to package the goods that had purchased by the public. By providing education on the importance of protecting the environment, it is hoped that sales partners will understand and participate in protecting the neighborhood.
Another response from one e-commerce is to use electric vehicles for couriers when deliver packages from online shopping. It is hoped that this can reduce the carbon footprint that triggers global warming.
Insight Insight Insight
From the various explanations above, there are several things that brands, marketers, even government can know before determining the next communication strategies.
- Some Indonesian people do not understand how plastic waste and carbon footprint are a serious threat to environment.
- There is need for in-depth education for partners and buyers about the user of recycled packaging.
- Intense communication, big campaigns, to online activation can be a brand vehicle to convey its concern for environmental sustainability.
So, What Can Brands Do?
There are so many things that brands can do. However, one fundamental is conducting research or surveys. Interesting insights can come from research and surveys – StratX KG Media can help brands with this.
The communication strategy that can achieve virality is the KPI for brands. Winning the hearts of brand’s target audience requires massive communication strategies – as part of KG Media, StratX can also help brands gain high awareness.
However, the spirit that needs to be instilled is being a mentor who educates all levels of Indonesians society that maintaining environmental sustainability is an important thing to do.
Brands as mentors who provide educational material can take advantage of various platforms to target the entire audience. Moreover, if the brand is planning to make a big campaign, starting the video manifesto is a good first step as a breakthrough for the brand movement.
Of course there are still a lot of things that brand can do. To find out about this, please contact us at stratx.id.
