Playing a small part in the bigger picture of saving the planet is something more delivery companies and brands are starting to think about when it comes to their work procedures and ethics, but also the way they operate when executing the services they offer. Lowering emissions and thinking about the carbon footprint can make a big impact and significant, positive changes when concerned about the environment, and if we can, then why not.

It is no secret that global warming, pollution, and deforestation are amongst the most crucial conditions threatening the survival of the planet, the animal species, and the human generation, and if companies can strive to practice sustainable logistics, all the better.

What can be done now?

Too often big corporations think it will cost more money than it is effective to change the way things work for a greener approach to business, but a few small changes is a start and from there you can build a more eco-friendly work ethos. Some of the ways to attain this are by making deliveries of goods and services more efficient.

You can easily do this through route optimization with more deliveries conducted on route or in the same destination areas, and even more so if these now sustainable deliveries could be completed with electric delivery vehicles or low and zero-emission vans.

When you have systems in place and more sustainable logistics companies are created the world can recover and thrive once again. As a business owner ensuring your firm is seen in the right light is crucial to branding and concepts, and specifically, how the world and clients, existing and potential, see you. With the right team and management, we can be the eco-conscious future the planet needs, the sustainable delivery specialists that are leading the industry to a healthier tomorrow. Let’s see some of the ways this can be achieved:

  • Vehicles

The quickest way to embrace this environmentally-friendly approach would be to swap out your delivery vans and trucks for hybrid versions, electric or mild hybrid, and opt for ethically mined and sourced fuel with fewer emissions.

  • Warehouses

Distribution centers within your delivery route are optimal for efficient sorting, but staff vehicles can charge on-site on company premises with peace of mind. And to elevate this source of energy adding solar panels for renewable energy will keep you one step ahead of the game and your competitors, without losing money.

  • Delivery success

Transport companies often have to redeliver packages or parcels if customers are not available or times are not suitable, but by implementing a digital ordering, tracking, and delivery software program you eliminate the risks of double deliveries and increase the success of delivering the first-time. No unnecessary traveling and driving.

What happens if we don’t make a change

Essentially, by ignoring the problem and handing it over to someone else it is only forgotten about until it becomes unavoidable and this is where we are headed. The time to act and change is now, but understandably it is not always easy to do quickly.

Last-mile delivery companies face increasingly stiff consumer demands daily, and to keep up with these orders, unfortunately, caring for the planet is not always a priority. But services such as offering ‘green time slots’ for deliveries could be more appealing to customers to make their small act of change, and then also to train delivery drivers on how best to make deliveries with efficient fuel conserving. Without small tweaks to processes, and understandably new methods that take time to execute, the issues may worsen before reversible solutions can be integrated.

A final push

The last consideration for delivery companies to make them sustainably more efficient would be to relook at parcel packaging. Less bulky materials allow more space on the vehicle, therefore more deliveries could be loaded and packed onto a single delivery, overall decreasing the number of delivery vans on the road.

This is not only better for efficient emissions but smaller, more manageable packaging encourages less waste in homes and leans more toward effective recycling practices, a win all around.

Sustainable logistics is achievable if we all make an effort to put in the work, small steps in the right direction may seem futile, but forward is still moving. Outsourcing companies who already have green fleets in place is also an option when you want to act now but are financially not able, a possibility to keep on the table.

One step at a time, one delivery at a time, we can create a greener planet.