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Sustainable logistics

Sustainability on track: what we’ve achieved to date

Check out 2021’s facts and figures

Every day we work hard to reduce our carbon emissions. And by 2030 we want to emit no CO2 at all between our sorting centre and your address. We’re well on track – just check out what we achieved in 2021.

80,799,037 sustainably delivered parcels

Did you know that, out of all parcel delivery services in the Netherlands, we deliver the most parcels sustainably? In 2021 we delivered a whopping 80 million parcels sustainably. Mail and parcels fitting into post boxes are already delivered free of emissions for 96% of all Dutch home addresses.

We’re among the world’s most sustainable logistics companies and have been ranking high on independent benchmarks for many years, such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and the CDP’s list (Carbon Disclosure Project).

18% less carbon emitted

In 2021 we emitted 18% less carbon per kilometre than we did in 2020. And our aim is to reduce our emissions further in 2022, to 186 grammes per kilometre.
Check out the infographic

Clean kilometres

14.6 million more sustainable kilometres

In 2021 we clocked up 14.6 million more sustainable kilometres than in 2020 – using renewable fuels, electric power, by bike or on foot. This took our fully emissions-free delivery in the last mile to 57,834,588 kilometres. That’s well over 1,400 times around the world!

More electric vehicles (EVs)

In 2021, we expanded our EV fleet to about 2,200 vehicles, both large and small. This helps us save 3,250 tonnes of CO2 a year.

35% cleaner fuels

Where we can’t make transport electric just yet, we replace petrol and diesel with cleaner fuels, such as biogas and HVO100, a renewable fuel emitting 90% less carbon). In 2021 we filled up with 35% renewable fuels (8% in 2020).

Energy usage sorting centres free of carbon emissions

The energy we use in our sorting centres is free of carbon emissions, which we achieve by way of solar panels, efficient energy consumption and the purchase of sustainable energy in the shape of so-called guarantees of origin (Dutch ones). Our 31,974 solar panels generate 44% of the energy we need to power our parcel sorting centres.

Less air in packaging

We’ve joined forces with web shops and suppliers to reduce air in packaging – and successfully so: in 2021 there was as little as 29% air in packaging transported, compared with 40% in 2020. After all, the smarter the packaging, the more sustainable its transport.

Parcels: emissions-free delivery in city centres

We increasingly deliver parcels by EV in city centres. In 2021 we delivered emissions-free in seven cities, the Wadden Islands and a few other areas. 98% of parcels were delivered on first attempt. Good for the environment and for our customers!

Cargolev – a city-friendly EV

Meet the Cargolev, the latest addition to our fleet of electric vehicles. After testing this clean, city-friendly little van in the Dutch city of Arnhem, we’ve now also introduced it in Groningen. Cargolevs are made in the Netherlands, especially for PostNL. You should start seeing them in other cities as well, as 2022 progresses.