Local Organic Delivery has become Melbourne’s first carbon neutral organic food delivery service, giving locals a truly sustainable choice when it comes to their food choices.
Run by former organic farmer Serge Simic, the Coburg-based delivery service is now offsetting 100% of its carbon footprint through Trace, by supporting tree-planting projects such as the bushland restoration in the Annya State Forest in western Victoria.
“Being an organic farmer, you see firsthand the impact that growing food has on the environment and the responsibility you have to work in harmony with nature. It’s in your DNA to look after the land and our climate. And that shouldn’t end when we leave the farm,” he said.
“As a business we were already going the extra mile by not using single use plastics, and cutting out all food waste through composting and food donations. And we’re pretty excited that we’ve been able to go even further by fully offsetting the carbon emissions of our operation.”
Mr Simic also believes it makes good business sense to do good for the environment.
“Our customers are amazing, when it comes to sustainability we’re all on the same page. Each week they return their boxes so we can reuse them, and we often get emails from customers telling us how much they love not having to worry about their fruit and vegetables arriving wrapped in plastic.”
“As a small business owner you have an opportunity to be a leader in the community. We might be one small business, but when other businesses see what we’re doing they think, we should do that too. And that’s how change happens, which is really special to be part of.”
Mr Simic plans to continue pushing his business to become as sustainable as possible, next setting his sights on electric vehicles.
“Australia is really far behind when it comes to electric vehicles, but we’ve managed to get our hands on two electric delivery vans which we’ll be receiving in a few months’ time. So later this year our customers will be able to get their organic food delivered in an electric van, will all carbon emissions fully offset. We reckon that’s pretty cool, and we’re proud to be leading the way.”