Prioritizing Sustainability With Carbon-Neutral Deliveries: PICKUP Case Study

PDI Technologies shares how PICKUP established the lofty goal of making every delivery carbon-neutral to display their commitment to a more sustainable future

PICKUP is a curated delivery service that helps retail partners, such as HomeGoods and American Standard, as well as individual consumers, seamlessly transport large items from the store to their final destination. PICKUP’s same-day and scheduled delivery options save customers time and energy when transporting large and/or heavy items from the storefront to their front door, which in turn drives increased big-ticket transactions while decreasing “delivery friction”. With a tech-driven platform to manage all deliveries, customer’s receive a seamless, hassle-free experience.

PICKUP’s network of delivery pros spend a lot of time behind the wheel and the company grew increasingly concerned about their fleet’s tailpipe emissions impact on the environment. Although carbon dioxide emissions in light-duty vehicles have decreased since 1975, new vehicles still release 348 grams CO2/mile on average (Dept. of Energy). One delivery may seem inconsequential, but considering PICKUP deliveries reach up to 50 miles per trip, the amount of CO2 added to the atmosphere each year from deliveries could extend upwards of 3,400 tons, which is equivalent to the electricity consumed by 662 homes in one year. PICKUP recognized their environmental impact and took action. In 2022, the company established the lofty goal of making every delivery carbon-neutral to display their commitment to a more sustainable future.

In order to develop and launch a strategy to offset 100% of the carbon emissions related to their vehicles, PICKUP began working with PDI Technologies. When it comes to promoting social responsibility and addressing customers’ climate concerns, PDI offers fleet and mobility companies turnkey sustainability solutions and patent-protected programs that deliver environmental impact and bottom-line results. PDI also partners with non-profit organizations worldwide to invest in carbon reduction projects such as renewable energy, transportation efficiency, greenhouse gas abatement, and reforestation.

In PICKUP’s case, PDI Technologies utilized its team of sustainability experts and extensive knowledge of carbon reporting to implement a simple, yet effective, sustainability program that carefully calculates delivery mileage and tailpipe emissions. These calculations not only provide PICKUP with the total carbon footprint from deliveries but also establish a baseline profile for the fleet that future reduction strategies can be measured against. PDI provides PICKUP with driver coaching materials to increase fuel efficiency, while also using carbon offsets to neutralize remaining emissions. PICKUP is currently supporting the following projects:

• Intermodal Transportation Project in the U.S. — J.B. Hunt works to generate fewer carbon emissions by transferring freight delivery from long-haul trucking to intermodal rail.
• Jari/Pará Redd + Project, Amazon Rain Forest Project in Brazil — This project promotes forest conservation and reduces potential greenhouse gas emissions.
• Cerro De Hula Wind Project in Honduras — This is the first wind farm in Honduras connected to the National Interconnected System of Honduras. Their main objective is to provide affordable electricity to the Honduran energy grid using wind power.

Through their work with PDI Technologies, PICKUP now successfully offsets the carbon emissions from its deliveries by 100 percent, becoming the only on-demand delivery provider with a program like this. 

For end consumers, this means that in addition to the convenience of home delivery from a PICKUP Delivery Pro, they can also rest easy knowing that their delivery has a neutral impact on the environment. “PICKUP was founded with the vision of providing customers with a best-in-class delivery experience,” said Jack Murphy, Chief Revenue Officer at PICKUP. “Being able to now also say that these deliveries are carbon-neutral is a logical evolution in our desire to continue to surprise and delight the consumer and our partners, while also making an immediate positive impact on the environment.”  

The benefits of PICKUP’s carbon neutral delivery program also appeal to their retail partners. Retailers continue to face increased pressure and scrutiny from investors and regulators when it comes to their carbon footprint. For some, meeting certain emissions goals in the near future is a requirement. By measuring, tracking, and neutralizing their delivery footprint, PICKUP puts retail partners one step closer to reaching emissions goals. 

In addition to supporting retailers and their emission goals, PICKUP tracks their own impact. In 2022, PICKUP offset over 2,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide which covered 3.5 million miles of deliveries. PICKUP will continue offsetting all deliveries in 2023 and beyond. In collaboration with PDI, PICKUP has goals of offsetting more than 4.5 million miles of deliveries and over 2,500 metric tons of CO2 in 2023. Ancillary to the offset goals, PICKUP is going above and beyond, committing to plant 10,000 trees over two years in Africa. This project is happening in conjunction with the Eden Reforestation Campaign in Mozambique. In 2022, PICKUP reached the halfway point of their initiative by planting 5,000 trees in Mozambique and plan to plant 5,000 more in 2023.

To learn more about PDI Technologies, click here.

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