Psamathe wrote:It is a lot of transport but I have no idea about the calculation. e.g. If I want a replacement charging cable, I can drive into city park, etc. all in a 30 mile round trip vs one small extra parcel on a van that is virtually going past my house anyway (or via Royal Mail who are visiting my house anyway).
Ian
I wouldn't like to make the calculation either, it's easy to see why companies like the Click and Collect model, and are prepared to invest quite heavily in technology and infrastructure to enable it, which ought to give us an indication. Whether such a model is environmentally a good one depends in part on final collection, if I collect by bike it probably is - if someone makes a twenty mile car trip then not.
In terms of environmental damage I'm unsure because although the van is virtually going past my house anyway, I am partially creating the demand for it be be anywhere near my house so I'm more than riding on the back of something happening anyway. But that vs a 30 mile round trip in the car (ignoring cycling as I don't cycle there (nowhere safe to leave bike).
Similarly, to return it's a cyclable (6 mile round trip) to a Post Office and you can be absolutely sure a van would be going to Amazon (or similar) warehouses every day.
Sorry, I'm going to dismiss the "Van is going there anyway" argument, it's making those trips because on cumulative demand and that comes from individuals. Your 30 mile road trip is also well outside the average, isn't it something like 80% of the population who live in Urban areas?
The point I was making was particulaly aimed at the ease of returns, if a third of staff employed in the warehouse are dealing with them, it's hard to imagine that will not result in a lot of additional transport.
Maybe similar equation to supermarket online/home delivery vs visiting the place yourself and that must vary depending on where you live in relation to the supermarket.
Yes, but at least one such delivery van comes up my street each day, sometimes the same van more than once. Yet within walking distance we have a Coop, Aldi, Iceland, with a huge Sainsbury superstore just over a mile away. Although there will be examples where a delivery is the right option, I can't see how the business model would work if that were the norm.
We're not going to change anything, the convenience is undeniable and often irresistible, I just think we ought to call it what it is - lazy. I need some veg today, it raining, am I going to get the bike out and a six mile round trip to the farm shop, pop across the road to get stuff in plastic bags from Aldi, or a 10 min walk to the local greengrocers? The farm shop the best option, Aldi the worst, I'll probably compromise and walk to the greengrocers.
As I said in the food thread, the biggest difference we can make would be by consuming less rather than fiddling on the edges.