Sainsbury will become the first major UK retailer to convert a fifth of its online delivery fleet to green electric vehicles. The trial of the battery powered "Little green van" proved so successful that the supermaket has placed a bulk order which will see the vans on UK roads in the next three years.
Sainsbury’s say that by September 2008, 20% of the supermarket's online deliveries will be made using electric vans, saving 45 tonnes of CO2 emissions in the first year. It makes a CO2 saving of 44 percent on a standard diesel van – the equivalent of one round trip from London to Rio de Janeiro or the entire annual CO2 footprint of a small UK household.
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This will make online shopping the green option, saving customers from using their own cars. In addition Sainsbury’s say plastic bags are taken away by drivers to be recycled and Sainsbury's drivers use GPS to ensure that they take the most efficient route through busy city centres and residential roads.
From: BEST OF 2008: Eco-friendy and sustainable shoes