DPD has been named Sustainable Business of the Year in the UK’s Business Champion Awards.
The company was recognized for its electrification of 1,500 vehicles in its UK fleet as well as its pledge to ‘deliver green’ to 30 large UK cities by 2023 and its Eco Fund designed to support community-based sustainable projects. The projects sponsored by the Eco Fund include the recycling of wooden pallets and recycling all plastic shrink wrap used throughout the operation to create new shrink wrap. DPD has also changed its parcel bags to 80% reclaimed material and made them 100% recyclable.
DPD received the award during a ceremony at Canary Wharf in London. The awards evening was a carbon-neutral event, and the judges’ presentation days were held online via Zoom to keep the carbon footprint to a minimum. To honor Her Majesty The Queen’s Jubilee campaign to plant more trees in 2022, each award winner will have 10 trees planted in its geographical region within the UK.
Elaine Kerr, CEO of DPD UK, commented, “This award is fantastic recognition for our people and our sustainability journey so far. We have challenged ourselves to be greener and more sustainable at every level and to create a truly joined-up strategy that goes way beyond simply buying electric vehicles. It includes an initiative to monitor air quality in five major cities and a four-year partnership with Forestry England. I’m incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made and the transformative impact it is making, not only on our operation but on the environment.”