FAITHFUL to Nature, an online retailer of natural and sustainable products is taking additional steps towards carbon-neutral delivery by introducing two electric cargo vans to their express delivery offering in Cape Town.
They are one of the first retailers in South Africa to launch these new smaller, locally made three-wheeler electric cargo vans in partnership with Carbon Neutral Express. These cars, produced by Mellowvans, emit no carbon emissions because they run on lithium batteries – not fossil fuels, which make economic and environmental sense in a world where most urban trips 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 (FtN). “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, and orders under R400 only R20. It’s better for our planet and our customers,” Cook continues.
The electric cargo vans will be trialled in Cape Town, servicing express deliveries (within 3 hours or less) to the Southern Suburbs, City Centre, and Atlantic Seaboard. If successful, they will be looking to expand into Johannesburg from their Gauteng Warehouse.
Faithful to Nature has taken several steps to improve its environmental impact in the last two years. These steps include carbon-neutral deliveries and 100% plastic-free shipping. Most recently, they achieved the B Corp certification by being the first African retailer to be awarded this globally recognised certification. Their approach provides a model for other businesses showing that concern for the environment is a consumer responsibility only, but that companies of all sizes can – and must – help to drive more environmentally sustainable practices.
