Businesses and consumers in London are being urged to make use of greener delivery methods this Black Friday and festive season to cut harmful emissions.
A total of 90% of goods in the capital are transported by road and freight, but road freight is a major source of nitrogen dioxide emissions, and these can be worsened during busy delivery periods.
To tackle this, Transport for London (TfL) is encouraging drivers to prioritise greener deliveries. In particular, using click and collect and green delivery slots can help reduce emissions, while choosing standard delivery instead of next day where possible can enable companies to group deliveries.
TfL is also asking shoppers to ensure deliveries are arranged for when you are at home or nominate an alternative address for drop-off where you know it will be delivered. Failed deliveries can increase the carbon footprint of online orders by up to 75% because of the additional trips needed.
Shoppers with smaller parcels can also cycle home using Santander Cycles, which is offering a discount of 25% off annual memberships for Black Friday by entering the code ‘CYCLEBF21’ online or via the Santander Cycles app.
Alex Williams, TfL’s Director of City Planning said: “We’ve seen an increase in the number of personal deliveries across the capital which is affecting air quality in the capital and the health of many Londoners.
“Black Friday weekend is one of the busiest shopping events of the year and is highly anticipated for London’s shoppers and retailers. We’re encouraging Londoners to choose greener ways of getting their deliveries such as using click and collect or getting to the shops by public transport, helping to reduce the congestion on the capital’s roads and improving air quality.”
TfL has also partnered with InPost to install parcel lockers across the capital, primarily situated within TfL’s car parks close to Tube and rail stations, and bringing a convenient, cleaner and greener alternative to collect and return parcels as part of everyday journeys.
Jason Tavaria, CEO at InPost UK, added: “Not only do parcel lockers play a fundamental role in easing the burden on an already-strained logistics network, but will significantly lower emissions, reduce local noise and air pollution, as well as congestion on our roads. We’re proud to be partnered with TfL, helping Londoners directly contribute towards London’s target to become a zero-carbon city by 2030.”
