Incorporating sustainable practices into your B2B eCommerce strategy can help you reduce your environmental footprint while also boosting your company’s brand image and driving growth.

But let’s face it: Making this shift can be challenging without the right tools and know-how. 

In this article, we explain why sustainable B2B eCommerce matters and share best practices to help your business meet the changing expectations of the market and your customers.

Short on time? Here are the key takeaways

• Sustainable B2B eCommerce is important for aligning with evolving market demands and consumer preferences. Today’s B2B buyers seek sellers who make sustainability a priority.
• New regulations are being introduced across various markets to enforce sustainable business practices. For example, the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the proposed SEC climate disclosure rules in the US will require many companies to report on their environmental impact.
• By proactively adopting eco-friendly practices, you can comply with these regulations and grow your business and profits. Key strategies include reducing waste, partnering with green businesses, using sustainable tech, and optimizing your product delivery methods.
• We at DJUST created a B2B eCommerce platform for civil engineering construction company Eiffage in less than six months. This platform includes features that enable Eiffage to measure and improve sustainability for their customers. The implementation of these features, along with the enhanced efficiency of the platform, has the goal to a 50% increase in productivity and an 85% reduction in carbon footprint on Eiffage’s construction sites.

Why is sustainable B2B eCommerce important?

By adopting sustainable eCommerce business models, B2B organizations can not only lessen their impact on the environment but also attract today’s eco-conscious B2B customers. 

Research shows that 69% of B2B buyers work at companies that have set sustainability-related goals, such as purchasing from sellers that use certified sustainability practices. However, over 55% of these buyers say they struggle to meet these goals because it is tough to find B2B sellers who prioritize sustainability.

Sustainable eCommerce companies — no matter their industry, from B2B retail to B2B construction — are in the perfect position to meet these buyers’ needs.

But what else do B2B customers seek in sustainable eCommerce? Let’s take a closer look.

Understanding consumer preferences in sustainable eCommerce

According to a 2022 study, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments were the top reason companies were looking for a new B2B partner. The same study found that 76% of B2B buyers felt sellers could better communicate their sustainable, ethical commerce practices — B2B customers want transparency.

In addition, B2C consumer preferences are increasingly influencing B2B purchasing decisions, as businesses recognize the importance of aligning with their customers’ values.

Specifically, in a 2022 survey, 64% of consumers said businesses need to do more to embrace circular economy principles, which focus on minimizing waste and maximizing resource use throughout the product lifecycle. 

In the same survey, 57% of consumers said they find businesses that partner with others specializing in the circular economy to be more credible.

There’s also a growing preference for eco-friendly packaging, responsibly sourced materials, and socially responsible supply chains. For example, customers prefer companies that prioritize eco-friendly packaging to minimize waste and reduce environmental impact, with a focus on using materials that can be recycled or are biodegradable.

This shift in preferences creates a distinct competitive advantage for businesses offering eCommerce B2B sustainable products and services, allowing them to differentiate themselves and capture a larger market share.

Why is sustainable commerce a strategic choice for your business?

Moving toward sustainable eCommerce is not just the right thing to do — it is also a smart business move that can set your company up for long-term success. By embracing eCommerce and sustainability together, your B2B company can unlock many benefits that will help it grow and thrive.

Encouraging business expansion

By embracing a sustainable eCommerce model and demonstrating a genuine commitment to the environment, your B2B business can tap into new market opportunities and attract more eco-conscious customers. This, in turn, encourages business expansion (and fosters greater client loyalty, too).

Enhancing brand perception

Weaving sustainability into your eCommerce business plan is a powerful way to boost your brand’s image with customers, investors, and partners alike. By aligning your eCommerce goals with sustainable practices, your business can become synonymous with environmental and social responsibility — a great reputation to have!

Expert tip: Compelling content can help you showcase your values further. To get your message across, ensure your eCommerce copywriting and product photography highlight your company’s eco-friendly products and sustainability efforts.

Improving operational efficiency

Adopting sustainable practices — such as optimizing packaging materials, reducing waste, and improving logistics can reduce your company’s resource use and lower operating costs. We must also recognize, however, the significant upfront challenges of doing so. 

Implementing eco-friendly solutions typically requires:

1. Substantial initial investment: Sustainable packaging, waste reduction systems, and energy-efficient technologies often have higher upfront costs.
2. Time commitment: Overhauling existing processes and training staff on new procedures can be time-consuming.
3. Potential disruption: Changing established systems may temporarily impact productivity.

However, despite these initial hurdles, many businesses find that the long-term benefits - including reduced resource use, lower operating costs, improved brand image, and regulatory compliance - outweigh the initial investment. Likewise, investing in energy-efficient technologies and sustainable eCommerce platforms can shrink your company’s environmental footprint while making it more efficient overall. It's crucial to approach sustainability as a strategic, long-term initiative rather than a quick fix.

Driving innovation and competitive advantage

Embracing sustainability can be a powerful driver for innovation, setting your business apart from the competition. By focusing on eco-friendly solutions, you could:

• Develop cutting-edge products that meet emerging environmental standards
• Create innovative services that help your clients reduce their own carbon footprint
• Pioneer new, efficient processes that minimize waste and maximize resources

These innovations can lead to new revenue streams, increased market share, and a reputation as an industry leader. 

It’s important to make sure your efforts are real and meaningful. Today's savvy customers, whether they're individuals or businesses, are quick to spot "greenwashing" – where companies exaggerate or mislead about their environmental impact.

Remember, actions speak louder than words. When you implement genuine, verifiable sustainability practices, you build trust, inspire innovation, and potentially open doors to new products, services, and business models that resonate with environmentally conscious buyers.

Expert tip: Consider eCommerce revenue models that support your sustainability goals. Research the feasibility of sustainable eCommerce models such as green product lines, carbon-neutral shipping (where you offset the emissions from your deliveries), or offering digital alternatives to physical products, where applicable. By aligning your revenue generation with sustainability goals, you could open up new markets and strengthen your brand reputation.

Best practices for sustainable B2B eCommerce

A successful B2B eCommerce strategy requires prioritizing sustainability in all your operations. Implementing sustainable practices in B2B eCommerce is a significant undertaking that requires careful planning, substantial resources, and a long-term commitment. It's important to recognize that these changes often involve complex processes, potential disruptions to existing operations, and considerable time investments - often spanning months or even years.

The following best practices can help guide your company toward a more sustainable and profitable future. However, keep in mind that each of these strategies may require extensive auditing, changes in partnerships, new technologies, and shifts in company culture. While the long-term benefits are substantial, the path to achieving them is often challenging and requires patience and persistence.

As you read through these practices, consider them as long-term goals rather than quick fixes. The journey to sustainability is ongoing, and even small steps in the right direction can yield significant results over time.

Reduce website waste

Many people don't realize that websites have a significant carbon footprint. According to Website Carbon:
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• The internet consumes 416.2TWh of electricity per year. To put that into perspective, that's more than the entire United Kingdom.
• Globally, the average web page produces approximately 0.8 grams of CO2 equivalent per page view.
• For a website with 10,000 monthly page views, that's equivalent to about 102 kg CO2e per year.
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Digital sustainability matters because the internet's electricity consumption produces carbon emissions equal to or greater than the global aviation industry. By reducing website waste, we can decrease energy consumption and lower the carbon footprint of our digital presence. 

Reducing website waste may require a comprehensive content audit, investment in new tools or platforms, and ongoing maintenance. It might also necessitate training for your team and potential changes to your content strategy. 

To minimize waste on your eCommerce platform, you can:

• Streamline content: Regularly audit and remove outdated or unnecessary pages, images, and products.
• Optimize images and videos: Compress media files to reduce load times and energy consumption.
• Choose a green web host: Opt for hosting providers that prioritize renewable energy sources and energy-efficient data centers.

Use sustainable technology

Investing in sustainable technology solutions can improve your business processes, reduce your company’s environmental impact, and encourage long-term growth. It also supports eCommerce scalability and performance, leading to reduced costs and faster time to market. 

Transitioning to sustainable technology often involves significant upfront costs, potential downtime during implementation, and a learning curve for staff. It may also require renegotiating contracts with current technology providers.

Here are some ways to implement more sustainable technology in your eCommerce business:

• Energy-efficient hardware: Choose equipment with high energy efficiency ratings when upgrading or replacing hardware.
• Cloud computing: Consider moving to cloud-based solutions, which can often be more energy-efficient than maintaining on-premises servers.
• Extend equipment lifespan: The most sustainable technology is often the one you already have. Maintain and update your current equipment to extend its useful life before considering replacements.
• E-waste management: When you do need to dispose of old equipment, implement proper recycling programs to minimize environmental impact.
• Software optimization: Use efficient coding practices and regularly update your software to minimize unnecessary processing and energy use.
• Green hosting: When selecting hosting providers, look for those that prioritize energy efficiency and sustainable practices.

Streamline logistics

Streamlining your logistics leads to several excellent outcomes for the environment and your business. It lowers emissions, reduces transportation costs, improves delivery times, and enhances customer satisfaction — ultimately increasing sales and profits.

Here are some ways to optimize your logistics:

• Consolidate shipments: Combine multiple orders into fewer shipments to minimize transportation.
• Optimize delivery routes: Use software to plan the most efficient routes, reducing fuel consumption and emissions.
• Partner with eco-conscious carriers: Choose shipping providers that prioritize sustainable practices, such as using electric vehicles or offsetting carbon emissions.
• Minimize and update packaging: Use right-sized packaging, recycled or biodegradable packing materials, and eliminate unnecessary fillers.

Optimizing logistics is a complex process that may involve auditing current practices, changing shipping partners, implementing new software systems, and potentially restructuring your supply chain. This process can take months or even years to fully implement and optimize.

Forge sustainable partnerships

Teaming up with companies that share your sustainability values helps your business demonstrate its commitment to corporate responsibility and makes it more resilient. When choosing partners such as suppliers, logistics providers, or technology vendors, look for those with a proven track record of sustainable practices.

Building new partnerships takes time and may involve ending relationships with current partners. It requires thorough vetting processes, contract negotiations, and potential adjustments to your supply chain or operations.

To better understand how these sustainable practices can be implemented in the real world, let's examine a practical example. We'll look at how Eiffage, a major player in the European B2B construction and concessions industry, has partnered with DJUST to build an innovative platform aimed at improving sustainability in their operations.

Eiffage: A case study in sustainable B2B construction

Eiffage recently set a new standard for sustainable eCommerce with its innovative BlueOn platform, created in partnership with DJUST. 

In partnering with DJUST, Eiffage not only strengthened its environmental responsibility but also unlocked new business opportunities and cemented its position as a world leader in sustainable construction and concessions.

Its journey provides valuable insights into how large companies can leverage technology to drive sustainability efforts. Let's explore how they transformed their operations.

BlueOn: A platform for transparency and growth

Eiffage’s core mission with BlueOn is to increase transparency around carbon emissions while creating a strong business case for revenue growth. 

The platform aims to provide clear information on the carbon footprints of construction materials and products used in building sites. This includes raw materials, equipment, and other supplies necessary for Eiffage's construction projects. The platform serves both internal buyers (such as site managers and procurement teams) and external customers (potentially other construction companies or subcontractors).

By offering this information, BlueOn helps:

1. Internal teams make more informed, environmentally conscious purchasing decisions
2. External customers understand the environmental impact of the materials they're using
3. Eiffage align with future regulations on carbon emissions in the construction industry 

For example, BlueOn might display two comparable steel products side-by-side, showing their respective carbon footprints. This allows buyers to choose based on both their project requirements and environmental considerations.

As a leading provider of eCommerce solutions, DJUST designed and built a scalable, flexible, and efficient SaaS platform that enhanced transparency and productivity for Eiffage's internal buyers, external customers, and suppliers. The platform was launched in just six months.

BlueOn: Driving business growth through sustainability

Eiffage's implementation of BlueOn demonstrates how sustainability initiatives can directly contribute to business growth and operational efficiency. The platform's focus on carbon footprint transparency improved Eiffage's environmental performance and enhanced its market position. 

By providing detailed environmental impact data, BlueOn has helped Eiffage win more contracts in an increasingly eco-conscious market. By leveraging the platform's features, Eiffage achieved impressive results: 

• A 50% increase in productivity through streamlined purchasing.
• An 85% reduction in carbon footprint on Eiffage's construction sites.
• €1.6 billion in raw materials ordered for the first building site using the platform.

The bottom line

Making your B2B eCommerce business sustainable is no longer optional — it is essential for long-term success. As customers increasingly seek eco-friendly products, services, and practices in eCommerce, your B2B company must prioritize sustainability to stay competitive.

A sustainable B2B eCommerce strategy comprises various best practices: reducing website waste, investing in sustainable technology, streamlining logistics for lower emissions, and forging partnerships with eco-conscious businesses. By following these practices, you can reduce your environmental impact, improve your brand image, discover new market opportunities, and more.