HelloFresh to become carbon neutral

HelloFresh is to become the first global carbon neutral meal kit company, announcing its commitment to offset 100 percent of its direct carbon emissions from 2020 onwards.

HelloFresh is committing to offset 100 percent of its direct carbon emissions from its internal operations and offices, plus all emissions from delivery to customers and corporate travel as part of the meal kit company’s green energy and carbon reduction strategy. This will make HelloFresh the first global carbon-neutral meal kit company.

For the international segment, HelloFresh will partner with Planetly, a climate-tech start-up from Berlin and, with their expertise, invest in climate protection projects around the globe. The initiative is expected to offset over 40,000 metric tonnes of carbon for 2020. Over in the United States, HelloFresh is collaborating with social enterprise Terrapass to offset at least 50,000 metric tonnes of carbon.

At a local level, HelloFresh Australia will be supporting the Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor in South Western Australia. Much of this area was cleared for agriculture by European settlers, and the reforestation project aims to return the environment to its origins by planting up to 40 different native tree and shrub species indigenous to the region in order to recreate a healthy and functioning biodiversity hotspot.

“The number of meals we put on Australian tables every week requires a disproportionately low amount of space and energy compared to traditional grocers and other meal providers,” says Tom Rutledge, CEO of HelloFresh Australia. “Given this inherent advantage in our business model, we see carbon offsetting as a natural next step, especially as we continue to grow our business and our role in the food industry.”

Early this year, HelloFresh committed to track and reduce its per meal carbon emissions – in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 13. Next to the carbon offset initiative, the company has several other carbon reduction measures in place. These include transitioning warehouses to green energy. HelloFresh Australia has already installed two 99kW solar generation systems on the rooftop of its warehouse in Sydney.