This Earth day, we’re encouraging everyone to consider the impact we all have on the environment. At Starship Technologies, we’re proud to be at the forefront of sustainable last-mile delivery, pioneering a service with our battery-powered robots that’s as good for the planet as it is for business.
Our commitment to sustainability is evident in our service areas around the world, where we’ve had a significant impact in lessening CO2 emissions by reducing the number of car and delivery vans traveling to and from supermarkets in cities, and by offering US students the option to choose battery-powered robot deliveries over traditional food delivery methods.
To put our efforts into perspective, our robots have now covered over 6 million miles, which is equivalent to 645 trips from the UK to Australia, or traveling from New York to LA more than 2,300 times, or even 244 journeys around the world. With our customers using our battery-powered robots to replace car journeys, we’ve saved almost 1.7 million kg of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere: equivalent to a passenger flying by plane for 6,792 hours.
But we’re not stopping there. We’re constantly looking for ways to make our operations more sustainable by reducing our environmental impact even further. Where possible, we source renewable energy providers to charge our robots, and we’re now experimenting with different charging methods and deployment processes to increase efficiency while reducing energy consumption.
But sustainability isn’t just good for the environment — it’s good for business. Let’s get real here: businesses dragging their feet to update their operations towards more sustainable solutions is largely due to concerns for their revenue. According to a study conducted by Mckinsey & Company in 2023, looking over the past five-year period, products which claimed environmental or social benefits saw 8% more cumulative growth vs products which hadn’t. Customers care about sustainability and back it up by shifting their purchasing patterns towards sustainable products. In conclusion, the report points to a “moral imperative, for consumers and companies alike, to understand and address these impacts to society and the planet as part of buying decisions and ESG-related actions. Product label claims — if they represent true and meaningful environmental and social action — can be an important part of fulfilling this moral imperative.”
At Starship, we’re proud to be helping our partners to fulfill their goals and commitments towards sustainability. Since last year, we’ve been partnering with delivery giants like Grubhub to give students across the United States an opportunity to get their favorite meals delivered in an environmentally conscious way, while making their day-to-day life on campus more convenient. It’s a win-win for universities, students and, most importantly, the environment. Equally, in cities around the world, we’re helping grocery partners strengthen their efforts to reduce carbon emissions by providing on demand, battery-powered deliveries from store to door.
We’re also passionate about encouraging others to take action towards a greener future too. The story of our employee, Andrew Tucker, is a case in point. Two years ago, Andrew and his wife donated their car to National Public Radio, as part of their vehicle donation program. So they jettisoned a car which they didn’t need, while helping to fund NPR to create local broadcasts including a few of Andrew’s favorites like “Morning Edition”, “The World” and “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me”. For them, owning a car was a needless headache, and donating it aligned with their wish to live greener lives. Andrew says working at Starship helped to inspire him: “I feel like my values of environmental conservation are reflected in Starship’s goals… I’d definitely like to see fewer cars on the road in future, and Starship are starting to make this become a reality.”
We encourage everyone to take action towards a more sustainable lifestyle this Earth Day. Whether by donating a car if you don’t need one, practicing more mindful consumption, reducing energy consumption, or simply choosing to walk or bike instead of driving, every small step makes a difference. By working together, we can create a brighter future for ourselves and our planet.
