Doorstep delivery firm Milk & More has claimed it is on course to become the largest operator of electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK, after it completes the rollout of another 160 new battery-powered milk delivery vans by the end of next month.

The new vehicles, which have a range of up to 125 miles on a single charge, will bring the company's UK fleet of EVs to just over 500, traveling an estimated 14 million miles a year delivering milk and groceries to households up and down the country, it said.

Moreover, the electric delivery vans will save an estimated 3.4 million litres of diesel per year, as well as being far quieter than traditional fossil fuel vehicles, enabling the firm's 1,100 milkmen and milkwomen to deliver to customers' homes by 7am with minimal disturbance, it explained.

Yesterday's announcement is the latest environmental move from Milk & More after the company phased out one-pint poly plastic milk bottles and replaced the 1.75 million plastic bags it uses each year with paper bags.

In addition to food and drink deliveries, the company is also expanding its range of eco-friendly household products, and aims to ensure 100 per cent of its packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

And while Milk & More delivers the vast majority of its milk in one-pint glass bottles, it is also working on a project to increase the average number of times these are reused from 25 to 30.

Andrew Kendall, deputy CEO for Milk & More, said the company was "transforming the great British milkman into a modern, convenient delivery service which has a sustainable, environmentally friendly proposition at its heart".

"We are continually looking to reduce our environmental footprint, so customers can be assured that they are buying into a business that is fully committed to a sustainable circular economy," he added.

The news came as green logistics firm Gnewt yesterday revealed it is on course to deliver its 500,000th parcel through its electric delivery partnership in London with online fashion retailer ASOS, saving an estimated 80 tonnes of CO2 compared to standard vans.

Gnewt, which was acquired by Menzies Distribution in 2017, delivers ASOS orders in the UK capital using its all-electric van fleet in combination with its pedestrian-based 'porters'.

The parcels are bulk delivered in larger fossil fuel vehicles by Menzies Distribution from ASOS's warehouse in Barnsley to Gnewt's hub in East London, from where 4,000 parcels per day are then delivered using the e-vans and porters, it explained.

Menzies Distribution is now working to expand electric delivery services beyond central London to other urban areas that are at the forefront of the UK's air pollution and congestion problems, it said.

With the London's Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) having come into force on Monday, forcing drivers of petrol and diesel cars to pay an extra £12.50 to enter the central area of the city, it will mean more drivers and brands having to confront the impact of their cars on air quality, argued Gnewt's head of business development Sam Clark. "Gnewt is proud to provide a service which is emission-free at the last mile, reduces congestion and doesn't compromise on speed and quality of service," he said.

Meanwhile, in response to the new ULEZ, food waste firm Bio Collector yesterday announced plans to switch its 25-strong fleet of collection trucks to run solely on compressed natural gas (CNG) in a bid to cut down on its air pollution impact.

The company, which collects food waste from within the M25, took delivery of the first seven new CNG vehicles yesterday. It said the vans would be fuelled by methane produced at its anaerobic digestion plant in south London, where it processes up to 100,000 tonnes of food waste each year into gas and electricity.

It means the new vehicles will run entirely on gas produced from food waste rather than fossil fuels, explained Bio Collector's managing director Paul Killoughery.

"Our biogas-powered vehicles will play their part in lowering emissions in London without the added implication of having to generate electricity, which may not be so clean," he said. "By fueling them with the food waste we collect, we can ensure that all our services are ready for the environmental challenges of the future."

Credit: Bio Collector