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Electric DHL delivery van outside a gated home with a DHL driver opening the vehicle.
Sustainability

How DHL is playing its part for the planet and its people

As global e-commerce continues to grow it is important everyone involved increases their efforts to be more sustainable. 

Young woman collecting a parcel from a parcel locker

The largest and densest Access Point network in Europe – 140,000 and counting! 

By switching consumers to Parcel Lockers and ServicePoints for delivery and collection, we can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 30% per shipment. That’s because the scale of our network means shorter collection journeys – so 7 in 10 people walk or cycle there.

Electric vehicle charging with a DHL delivery driver in the background

Greener Transport

Building a best-in-class sustainable fleet

Alongside our move to electric vehicles, we run our larger vehicles, wherever possible, on biofuels made from 100% renewable materials – and no fossil fuel. And, when technology allows, we’ll be the first to switch to electric vehicles heavy duty trucks and those with inbuilt solar panels. At the same time, we train our people to drive for maximum fuel efficiency, by reducing speeds, for example.

DHL employes at a solar energy farm with wind mills in the background

Energy-Efficient Facilities

We put renewable production and energy reduction at the heart of our new facilities, and the updating of existing ones. This includes solar and wind generation, thermal roofs, air and ground source heat pumps, rainwater harvesting and water recycling. All buildings already have LED lighting and certified green electricity. And, as well as improving recycling, we’re pioneering the transformation of packaging waste into heat energy. 

Female DHL delivery driver on an electric delivery bike

Smarter Route Planning

The more efficient our route planning, the lower the environmental impact of our network. More parcels per truck, per route, combined with fewer ‘not at home’ deliveries and more fuel-efficient driving, all result in improved sustainability. 

DHL electric van with a DHL driver holding a parcel ready for delivery

Reducing Packaging

Our ambition is to eliminate what isn’t necessary and reuse what is. That means direct printing on packaging to remove the need for labels, self-adhesive boxes so we don’t need tape, and right-sized packaging so there’s no empty space. Alongside this, we encourage customers to choose reusable packing and wrapping, with as much made from bio-based materials as possible.

Sustainable Products

Our GoGreen Plus scheme reduces the emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, by investing specifically in green transportation technologies and clean fuels. This is known as carbon insetting.

Committed to People

We strive to be a great company to work for all, offering our colleagues a safe, inclusive and engaging work environment where they can feel they belong. We are also committed in helping and improving the lives of our local communities through our initiatives like DHL’s Got Heart.

Ethical Governance

Our aim is to be a highly trusted, ethical, sustainable business. This includes protecting the information of our customers, suppliers and employees, ensuring we comply with the data protection requirements of all the countries we operate in and requiring suppliers to sign up to a rigorous code of conduct.

Learn more about our sustainability goals

A selection of our sustainability stories

There are so many amazing things happening in the world of green logistics. Get the latest insights and learn how our industry is helping to deliver a sustainable future.