As part of its commitment to sustainability, on-demand delivery service, Gorillas is motivating its customers to shop more mindfully this Earth Day, which is tomorrow.
To make shopping sustainably as simple as possible, Gorillas has housed its sustainable and organic partner brands under a new category on its app, Gorillas X Earth for eco-conscious shoppers to support at the click of a button. Within the category, users will find vegan, vegetarian, eco-friendly, fair trade and local produce, all delivered in minutes.
As the first CO2-neutral player in the rapid grocery delivery space, Gorillas recently announced that it has compensated for all emissions under its direct control (Scope 1, 2 and 3.3) since the brands launch in May 2020. 4,960 tonnes of CO2 stemming from, amongst others, refrigerants, electricity, heating and cooling of warehouses and offices have been saved.
By achieving carbon neutrality in its own operations, Gorillas has set a sustainability benchmark for the European instant on-demand delivery industry.
On a mission to become more sustainable, 52% of Gorillas’ electricity comes from green sources, which already account for two thirds of its warehouses’ energy consumption in the UK, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. In fact, Gorillas’ Denmark warehouse already uses 100% green energy and sets a benchmark for the brand’s global locations to follow suit.
In a bid to be as environmentally friendly as possible, Gorillas has a number of partnerships to minimise food waste and reduce CO2 emissions. Through its global partnership with Too Good To Go, Gorillas has distributed more than 250,000 food baskets, reduced 625 tonnes of CO2 and saved 28,620 Magic Bags from going to waste, with the partnership continuing globally across 2022.
By teaming up with local London food shortage charity The Felix Project, Gorillas has donated almost half a million meals (461,910) to those in need, saving 193 tonnes of food from going to waste.
Moreover, from the inception of the business in Berlin in 2019, Gorillas has worked closely with Be Climate to make sure the app’s top selling item, bananas, are completely climate neutral. All emissions are recorded from cultivation to sale and are certified by Rainforest Alliance, Organic Fair Trade and Global G.A.P.
An estimated 6.7 million tonnes of food waste is generated from UK households every year, meaning approximately 32% of all food purchased per year is not eaten. Gorillas’ business model has sustainability at its heart, aiming to reduce the amount of food waste created by the traditional supermarket shop, encouraging consumers to shop more responsibly by buying only what they need throughout the week.
This reduces the chances of food going to waste in the fridge which often is the case when doing a bigger weekly shop, particularly when it comes to fresh produce.
Alexander Brunst, Global Vice President Sustainability for Gorillas, remarked, “Since our launch, we have aimed to incorporate sustainability as a key pillar to drive our actions. We will continue to offer more environmental friendly products to our community so they can join us in our sustainable journey.”
“We have a number of charity partners who support our vision and we’re excited to continue these projects this year. We’re constantly setting ambitious goals for ourselves and by mid 2023, we’re aiming to have cut all edible food waste and commit to 100% renewable energy.”
Paschalis Loucaides, UK Managing Director of Too Good To Go, added, 'With food waste causing more greenhouse gas emissions than the aviation industry, reducing the amount of food we throw away is one of the most vital steps we must take to combat climate change. That's why it's been fantastic to see how successful our partnership with Gorillas has been so far, as we help prevent food waste together and pave the way for a brighter, greener future.”
“We've had fantastic feedback from our users and it's been brilliant to see just how much delicious food we've been able to save from ending up in the bin in a short space of time. Our app allows people to protect the planet, while also getting delicious, good value food from some of the UK's most exciting food businesses such as Gorillas - it really is a win-win-win.”
In the UK, Gorillas cover the following areas: London, Manchester, Nottingham, Reading and Southampton.