Earth911 Podcast: As Buying Used Rises, eBay Invests for Sustainability

The transition to more sustainable shopping is underway, and we’re pleased to welcome eBay’s chief sustainability officer, Renee Morin, to discuss what the e-commerce giant is doing to make its marketplace more sustainable. Buying used is one of the most effective ways to reduce your environmental footprint because nothing new needs to be manufactured. Of course, getting reliable used products shipped to you can be challenging — and long shipping routes can add to the product’s carbon footprint. That’s where online marketplaces like eBay come in. In addition to using renewable energy for their data centers, they can help connect local buyers and sellers efficiently or provide tools, such as adding carbon offsets to transactions to reduce the impact of shipping. We talk with Renee about eBay’s sustainability efforts, including its emissions goals and the challenge of measuring the Scope 1, 2, and 3 CO2 footprint of a global e-commerce company.

We learned on a recent show that 39% of respondents to the EPAM Consumers Unpacked survey in the U.S., U.K., and Germany said they are planning to buy used items to reduce their environmental impact. That signals a shift is underway as people look to lower their impact on the planet. eBay also recently concluded a “recommerce” survey that found a rising tide of sustainability priorities among shoppers. 80% of Gen Zers reported buying used in the last year and sustainability is becoming a driver of eBay purchases and selling. Twenty-six percent of women, 15% of men, and 23% of Millennials say that environmental responsibility is their primary reason for selling on eBay. And 94% of those sustainability-minded respondents say they buy and sell used specifically to reduce the amount of waste they produce. You can learn more about eBay’s sustainability efforts at ebayinc.com