While reducing packaging weight, using recycled and recyclable material can reduce the impact on the environment, that alone is not enough. Shipping and delivery create a carbon footprint with emissions and pollutants. Here’s some of the concerns:

Oil Spills – We all remember Exxon Valdez, actually a rare occurrence but over 85% of the 10,000 spills take place during unloading and are considered accidental. The remaining 15% are intentional, typically dumping dirty ballast while changing oil. The impact is still very large on the port wildlife and water quality.

Ballast Water – To ensure stability a ship needs to take on water to adjust the balance of the ship. Water that is typically taken on (thousands of tons) in one port can then get discharged in another port and carries various non-indigenous species that can become invasive in their new environment. The Zebra Mussel in the Great Lakes is a perfect example of this.

Air Pollution – Although ships only account for 2% of the world’s air pollution this is a significant number on a whole. Some pollutants such as sulfur dioxide are largely coming from the ships, perhaps as much as 60% of the worlds emissions.

Anti-fouling Pollution – Fouling is when unwanted barnacles and waste appear on ships. Every 2 to 5 years they need to be removed from the ships hull. An alternative to this is to apply a coat of tributyltin which kills sea life and is know to cause deformities in shellfish. Many waters around shore have high concentration levels that make all seafood unfit for consumption and also reduce the sustainability of the eco system.

Dredging – Digging trenches in the water to create new land and deeper routes for larger ships disturbs not only the sea life eco system but also land eco systems when the material is relocated. The noise and disruption to laying grounds, plant life and various animals can cause a total breakdown in a highly sensitive biological life form that my be only found in that area.

Ship Disposal – When it’s time for a ship to go to a graveyard the potential waste and leakage increases. They are no longer a ship that is running and regulated and since the ship is decomposing the chance of chemicals being released into the ocean is increased. The actual breakdown of the ship for scrap and disposal is in question too as not all materials are removed safely and recycled efficiently.

These are the basic concerns of shipping a product. Kinda makes you think about how and where you get your products from doesn’t it. There are solutions and actions you can take to reduce your need for shipping and delivery. We will discuss some of these in our next article.

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