The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way grocery stores do business, with online sales rising more than 50% from 2019 to 2020 in the United States.
As shoppers searched for safe and convenient ways to get essential items, grocers adapted to meet increased e-commerce demand. Small, automated warehouses called micro-fulfillment centers—often located within existing stores—enabled grocers to fill pickup orders more quickly, sometimes within an hour of order placement.
At the same time, ongoing advances with autonomous vehicles, robots and drones promise to create new consumer options in the near future.
So, how will all these changes affect the amount of climate-altering greenhouse gases generated by grocery shopping? Which alternatives produce the most and the least heat-trapping emissions, and what can consumers do to minimize their carbon footprint?
Read more at University of Michigan
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