Greener shipping options

You've carefully chosen sustainable gifts for your friends and family, but wonder if shipping them to far flung locations will wipe out any gains you've made. No need to worry. When it comes to shipping, there are plenty of ways to go greener and, in many cases, save green as well.

Here are suggestions adapted from an interview with Justin Brown, CEO of FGX, a greener shipping company that flies packages directly to their overseas destinations instead of initially sending them to out-of-the-way hubs. The result is fewer carbon emissions, increased savings, and faster delivery times for the businesses that FGX caters to.   

• Pay attention to packaging. Each American sends about 300 pounds of packaging to the landfill every year, according to Brown. So, there's plenty of room for improvement. Your greenest option is to reuse materials, such as boxes, bubble wrap, and peanuts, or to use items you already have on hand, such as newspapers. When you have to buy new, choose biodegradable packing materials or those made from post-consumer recycled content. If you're willing to spend a little more, you can buy packing peanuts that will dissolve in water when you no longer need them.

• Choose ground shipping. This requires advance planning because your packages will take longer to arrive, but you'll save money and carbon emissions. Sending packages by plane emits eight times more carbon dioxide than transporting by truck, says Brown.

• Shop online instead of driving to the mall. One researcher estimates that purchasing something on the Internet is 27 times more efficient than a dedicated car ride to the store. Of course, this depends on a number of factors. Eliminate shipping costs at FreeShipping.org. The site provides free shipping offers, coupons, and codes from a long and varied list of retailers from Gap to Amazon to Nordstrom, and many more.

• Have presents wrapped and sent directly to the recipient instead of shipping it to your home and resending it.

Don't forget about the United States Postal Service, which is making green efforts across the board from using water-based inks to print stamps to managing the largest civilian alternative fuel vehicle fleet in the nation. You can order free envelopes and boxes that have been Cradle to Cradle certified for meeting high environmental standards. Skip a trip to the post office by arranging to have your packages picked up when your mail carrier delivers the mail. Measure your savings here.