Grofers steps up sustainability efforts; aims at recycling plastic wastage

Online grocery ordering platform Grofers is exploring opportunities to get sustainability-conscious customers to start donating Rs 1-2 towards recycling plastic wastage in the packaging of food products.

The company has stepped up its sustainability efforts and is undertaking a series of steps, including deploying electric vehicles and using biodegradable packaging for deliveries, it said in a blog post.

"There is no viable path forward that does not take into account the needs of the future generations. The concept of sustainability entails that we live and work in the present in a manner that does not jeopardise the future. As an organisation that is dedicated to serving Indians for decades to come, sustainability is a core priority for us," it added.

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Grofers - which has also revamped its logo - said its last-mile fleet at Gurugram has about 80 percent electric vehicles.

"To reduce carbon emissions, we deployed some electric vehicles wherever we can with respect to replacing the normal CNG, Diesel or Petrol vehicles moving from 4 wheelers to 2 wheelers...Overall, we have currently deployed close to 40-plus EV vehicle with the 3PL partnership for last-mile delivery," it said.

Grofers noted that the company has been using only biodegradable packaging for the last one year, replacing industry food-grade plastic.

Apart from replacing the delivery packaging, it is also undertaking initiatives to reduce the amount of plastic used in packaging products such as staples, atta, sugar, etc.

"In the not-so-distant future, we are exploring opportunities for people who are concerned about sustainability to start donating for Rs 1 or 2 towards recycling plastic wastage in the primary and secondary packaging of food products. We believe this is one of the small measures that could create a dent in the ongoing plastic pollution going on across the country," Grofers said.

The SoftBank Vision Fund-funded platform said it is also making a concentrated effort on solving the challenge of pesticides contaminating soil and water by engaging with farmers, who understand the significance of maintaining a balance between healthy food and a fertile environment.

"As a small step towards tackling this problem, we have introduced a new range of staple products with pesticide-free goodness under our new brand 'Whole Farm', which undergoes a robust three-stage quality check process, is tested against 114 chemicals and is traceable end-to-end," it said.

The assortment currently consists of 43 articles in categories ranging from flours, pulses, rice, millets, sugar, and spices. These are grown at farms that do not use chemicals or fertilisers, and every batch of produce gets certified Pesticide-Free only by NABL-accredited external labs, it said.