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As you know sustainability is at the heart of what we do. Our mission is to reconnect people with food, because we believe this is an essential part of building a sustainable food system (to the benefit of our health and that of the planet!). With that in mind we are always thinking about small changes we can make to our business to be greener. As a start-up with limited resources, this can be really challenging but our team is passionate about researching sustainable alternatives and pushing forward for change.
We know that the everyday adds up to the big picture, so we’re pursuing this in all sorts of ways; from the materials we use for our signage, to the cleaning products we use in our office and how we transport our kit around London We’re proud to share our partnership with Zedify, who are helping us to improve the sustainability of our logistics. They recently supported us to move kit around London for a series of events and we’re looking forward to working together in the future.
So who are Zedify and what do they do? Zedify and their fleet of cargo bikes are transforming urban deliveries by using hyperlocal microhubs and zero emission vehicles to deliver goods. They’re based in 10 locations - ranging from Edinburgh to Plymouth - and continue to grow, with two new hubs opening by summer 2023.
Zedify's founders, Rob King and Sam Keam, realised that traditional diesel van deliveries in cities simply weren't working. Diesel vans are slow in congested areas (not to mention their contribution to this congestion), are noisy and foul-smelling, and release toxic gases and particulates as they move through the city. All of this is harmful to urban areas and their inhabitants. Sam and Rob combined their passion for cycling and backgrounds in sustainable initiatives, and set out to change things for the better.
What makes Zedify different?
They put people and the planet first. Every single rider is paid a Real Living Wage (no gig economy here) and has the appropriate employee benefits and protections that, they believe, all couriers should have. Put simply, riders that are cared for and appreciated are those that deliver a brilliant service to end-consumers.
They have a USP in our fleet, too. 95%+ of all deliveries are completed using cargo bikes. Zedify's competitors use a mix of electric cars and vans to deliver their parcels, which have an even higher embedded carbon than diesel vans, and are highly inefficient when it comes to getting around congested cities.
What’s next for Zedify?
Zedify's recent investment has allowed for a huge amount of growth acceleration. Subsequently, they’re looking to expand into more cities over the next few months, with Manchester and Birmingham highest on the list and nearly ready to open. This will create 140+ employment opportunities, with many more to come.
Aside from this, Zedify is looking to continue to support a range of services - those in the retail world and outside of it, smaller companies and large - to continue to support the creation of a green city at all levels.
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