LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y., Dec. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- FreshDirect, one of the nation's leading online gourmet food purveyors and delivery services, today announced that it has signed a contract with Tri-State Biodiesel to begin conversion to biodiesel fueling. Beginning in early January of 2008, FreshDirect's fleet of 150 delivery trucks will start the switch to B5, a blend of 5 percent biodiesel and 95 percent regular diesel. By February 2008 the company plans to use B5 in its entire fleet.
The biodiesel blend utilized will be supplied by Tri-State Biodiesel, a New York City-based company dedicated to providing the region with clean, renewable biodiesel sources. Starting in the fall, FreshDirect began donating cooking oil from its kitchen to be used in Tri-State's non-toxic diesel fuel. With this change, FreshDirect furthers its partnership with Tri-State to reduce emissions and cut back on use of fossil fuel products. In fact, biodiesel reduces CO2 emissions over 78 percent compared to petroleum diesel. According to studies, biodiesel will reduce smog and air pollutions, helping to make New York City a cleaner city.
"Our trucks are a mass transit system for food in the communities we serve, and we are committed to make the fleet run as clean-burning and low- impact as possible," says Adrian Williams, FreshDirect's Senior Vice President of Transportation. "Our conversion to biodiesel is but one example of our company's environmental stewardship and support of a sustainable future for New York."
"We applaud FreshDirect for being a biodiesel pioneer here in New York City. Not only will this transition to clean burning biodiesel fuel result in a big drop in the air pollution levels, but it also helps to bring biodiesel on as a mainstream fuel for the many trucking fleets of the city," says Brent Baker, CEO of Tri-State Biodiesel.
Additionally, FreshDirect will also begin testing and using idling reduction technologies to allow truck engines to be turned off automatically after three minutes during loading and delivery. While FreshDirect strictly prohibits drivers from idling, this new functionality enforces compliance. By the end of the year 10 percent of FreshDirect's trucks will be running this technology.
"While both programs are in the pilot phase, we continue to improve on these environmental initiatives," says Williams. "These commitments demonstrate just a few of the ways we are working to make FreshDirect a sustainable company and a good neighbor within our community."
About FreshDirect
Founded in 1999, FreshDirect is one of the nation's leading online meals and fresh food manufacturing and delivery services. FreshDirect is setting a new standard for fresh food production and distribution by offering unparalleled quality, product customization, and value pricing from its state-of-the-art kitchen facility in Long Island City. The company is expanding rapidly and currently serves most of Manhattan and locations in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, as well as parts of New Jersey, Westchester, and Nassau County. The company's vision is to change consumers' lives by providing the ultimate shopping experience for impossibly fresh food and meal solutions. The company currently has over 250,000 customers and has fulfilled over 5 million orders since opening for business in September 2002. Additional information can be found at http://www.freshdirect.com/.
About Tri-State Biodiesel
Tri-State Biodiesel, New York City's biodiesel pioneer, provides NYC with top notch waste cooking oil collection service and clean burning, recycled oil-produced biodiesel fuel of the highest quality.
Tri-State's biodiesel is an EPA approved and certified alternative diesel fuel made waste cooking oil collected at local restaurants that is much better for our health, economy and the environment. Our biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine and no engine conversions are necessary. Tri-State Biodiesel is proud to the first biodiesel fleet fuel provider in the city and looks forward to continuing to supply this great renewable fuel.
FreshDirect
