This paper compares the carbon intensity of “last mile” deliveries (i.e. deliveries of goods from local depots to the home) and personal shopping trips. Several last mile scenarios are constructed for the purchase of small, non‐food items, such as books, CDs, clothing, cameras and household items. The analysis is based on official government statistics, operational data from a large logistics service provider, face‐to‐face and telephone interviews with company managers and relevant literature. Allowance is made for home delivery failures, “browsing” trips to the shops and the return of unwanted goods. Overall, the research suggests that, while neither home delivery nor conventional shopping has an absolute CO₂ advantage, on average, the home delivery operation is likely to generate less CO₂ than the typical shopping trip. Nevertheless, CO₂ emissions per item for intensive/infrequent shopping trips by bus could match online shopping/home delivery in terms of carbon intensity.

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/09600031011018055

« List
all items in current category