SecureTrading, the UK's leading independent Internet payment service provider, has teamed up with author and environmental consultant Julia Hailes to launch the Top Ten Green Tips for Trading Online. The advice, designed to encourage environmental best practice amongst online retailers, coincides with The On Line Green Awards (OLGAs), hosted by e-commerce industry body the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG).

Commenting on the green challenges faced by online merchants, Julia Hailes said: “Probably, the most important environmental impact of trading online is sorting out efficient delivery systems. Huge trucks delivering to one household in an area could actually be worse than someone heading to the shops in their car. On the other hand, companies that can drop off to lots of different households in a day really are saving resources.”

Jon Prideaux, Deputy CEO at SecureTrading: “The business case to operate in a more environmentally-friendly manner is driven by moral responsibility, cost efficiency, demand from customers and legislative compliance. As pressure builds from each of these key drivers, online merchants will be forced to take a closer look at their operation – in particular their supply chain – and identify areas where environmental impact can be reduced. In response to this SecureTrading is actively seeking industry partners to develop a wider green offering encompassing packaging, energy efficiency and delivery.”

1. Delivery times – Make sure delivery times offered enable multiple deliveries to the same area.
2. Customer logistics – Encourage customers to provide alternative drop offs if they aren't in when a delivery arrives.
3. Vehicle size – Use vehicles that are an appropriate size for what is being delivered - huge trucks with small parcels are wasteful.
4. Fuel efficiency – Check out the fuel efficiency of delivery vehicles before using them and give guidelines to drivers to maximise fuel efficiency and minimise emissions.
5. Partnerships – Link up with other companies doing deliveries to avoid multiple vans and trucks in the same area.
6. Returnables – Create a system that can deal with returnable items alongside deliveries.
7. Minimal packaging – Review and reduce packaging on product deliveries.
8. Recycling – Use recycled materials in products and packaging wherever possible and provide information to customers on recycling packaging and other materials they receive.
9. Junk – Don't offer customers wasteful products that will be discarded quickly or have no useful purpose but encourage trading of second hand products that might otherwise end up as rubbish.
10. Information – Give customers environmental information about the products they are buying online e.g. energy use of TVs and other electrical goods.

As part of the company’s commitment to raising awareness of environmental best practise, SecureTrading is sponsoring the Large Retailer Award at The On Line Green Awards 2008. The OLGAs aim to inspire, encourage and reward companies who are using internet shopping to progress towards conservation of the Earth's resources and / or a reduction in their carbon footprint.

Julia Hailes, a judge at this year’s OLGAs, co-founded consultancy and think-tank SustainAbility in 1987, where she was a Director until 1995. She is now a freelance consultant and speaker on social, environmental and ethical issues. Her work includes environmental reviews, management briefings and advising companies on policy, strategy and communications. Julia has written nine books, the most recent of which was The New Green Consumer Guide, published in 2007 by Simon & Schuster. For further information on Julia Hailes please look at her website www.juliahailes.com.