Silent digital hyperconsumption: 84 42
Ecological footprint of online shopping and its mitigation through literacy in responsible consumption
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51896/ep4z9227Keywords:
Sustainable consumption, environmental education, ecological footprint, electronic commerce, information literacyAbstract
Responsible consumption has become a key strategy in combating environmental degradation; however, the rapid growth of e-commerce (silent digital hyperconsumption) has generated an invisible ecological footprint. This research analyzes the relationship between online shopping and the generation of electronic waste, carbon emissions from reverse logistics, and resource overexploitation. The objective was to design and evaluate responsible consumption literacy model for university students. A sequential mixed-methods (quantitative-qualitative) design was used with 384 students. The results show that 72% make weekly online purchases without considering the environmental impact; after the educational awareness program, the frequency of unnecessary purchases decreased by 34%. This study presents graphs showing the reduction of CO2 emissions and the decrease in single-use packaging. It concludes that responsible consumption literacy is effective in the short term, but requires sustained institutional policies.
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