Faithful to Nature, an online retailer of natural and sustainable products, says it is taking additional steps towards carbon-neutral delivery by adding two electric vehicle (EV) cargo vans to its express delivery service in Cape Town.
The company is among the first retailers in SA to launch a carbon-neutral delivery service. Last month, Woolworths became the first South African retailer to embark on an extensive rollout of electric panel vans to deliver customers’ online purchases in Gauteng, Cape Town and Durban.
Faithful to Nature says its locally-made three-wheeler electric cargo vans were introduced in partnership with Carbon Neutral Express, a Cape Town-based logistics company.
The vehicles, produced by electric delivery vehicles manufacturer Mellowvans, emit no carbon emissions because they run on lithium batteries – which is said to make economic and environmental sense for short deliveries which are around 5km or less.
“We’ve always been conscious of our deliveries’ carbon footprint, so when the opportunity arose to use electric vehicles, we were ready for it. We are excited to be using electric vehicles made in South Africa, as supporting local and sustainable organisations has always been at the forefront of what we do,” says Paul Cook, CEO of Faithful to Nature.
“Not only will this reduce our carbon footprint, but it also means our customers will benefit from lower express delivery costs, which will decrease dramatically. Orders over R400 will cost only R40 for delivery, and orders under R400 only R20. It’s better for our planet and our customers.”
The electric cargo vans will be trialled in Cape Town, servicing express deliveries (within three hours or less) to the Southern Suburbs, City Centre and Atlantic Seaboard. The company says if this proves successful, it will look to expand the initiative to Johannesburg from its Gauteng warehouse.
Faithful to Nature has taken several steps to improve its environmental impact in the last two years, including carbon-neutral deliveries and 100% plastic-free shipping.
Most recently, it achieved the B Corp certification. It says it is the first African retailer to be awarded this globally-recognised certification.
“Our approach provides a model for other businesses, showing that concern for the environment is not a consumer responsibility only, but that companies of all sizes can − and must – help to drive more environmentally-sustainable practices.”
Share