With the warnings from scientists about the dangers of climate change becoming increasingly uncompromising, the pressure is on for governments and the private sector to cut emissions and reduce our ecological impact.

One industry that’s under pressure to transform the way it operates is logistics. After all, whether it’s cargo being shipped from one side of the globe to the other, lorries moving goods on the continent or delivery vans dropping off your groceries, the transfer of items from one place to another is one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions.

So, with sustainability an increasingly hot topic, one way that logistics companies will look to further reduce their carbon footprint in the coming years is with delivery drones.

In this blog post, we’ll take an in-depth look at these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to see how they’re set to revolutionise last-mile delivery in the UK and beyond.

What Are Delivery Drones?

Delivery drones are UAVs that are designed to transport packages from one location to another with unbeatable precision and efficiency.

These autonomous flying devices are kitted out with advanced GPS systems which allows them to navigate through the skies and reach their intended destination. 

Aiming to revolutionise the way goods are transported by offering a swift, eco-friendly delivery service, these UAVs come in various sizes and designs, from smaller quadcopters to larger models capable of carrying significant loads.

Although these delivery drones are still being fine-tuned to ensure optimal safety and performance, it’s hoped that they’ll one day provide a faster, cost-effective and, most importantly, eco-friendly solution to the growing climate crisis.

What Is Last-Mile Delivery?

Despite its name, this part of the delivery doesn’t necessarily refer to the last mile. Instead, it just means the final leg of the delivery process when the goods are sent from a distribution centre to the end consumer. 

The issue with last-mile delivery is that it poses environmental challenges due to its reliance on traditional delivery vehicles, which are usually powered by fossil fuels. 

Moreover, with more vehicles on our roads due to their last-mile delivery commitments, this makes traffic congestion worse and leads to inefficiencies in fuel consumption, all of which contribute to air pollution and carbon emissions.

This is why it’s imperative to find sustainable solutions and eco-friendly alternatives such as electric or hybrid delivery vehicles, bike couriers and, one day, drone deliveries can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of last-mile delivery.

By embracing sustainable alternatives, this not only benefits the environment by lowering emissions but also enhances the efficiency in deliveries and reduces long-term costs by cutting the amount of fuel or man hours required.

Delivery Drones For Last-Mile Delivery

Although they’ve been mooted to take over last-mile delivery for quite some time, until now their widespread rollout has failed to get off the ground. This is down to a number of factors, namely safety concerns and regulatory hurdles. 

In the short term, we can expect delivery drones to be limited to transporting medical or emergency supplies. Right now, there are simply too many safety risks to have drones buzzing all over our skies.

With that said, once this technology has been thoroughly tested and companies have mitigated many of the risks, with regulatory approval we should start seeing delivery drones play a significant role in logistics.

A hybrid model, where a van or truck driver uses drones along their stops will likely be the first step, so keep an eye out for this in the coming years.

Zero Emission Trucks

To further reduce the emissions that are created every time we order something online, electric or hybrid vehicles are also now being rolled out.

Powered by sustainable energy sources, these trucks are set to play a key role in our quest for cleaner, more environmentally friendly delivery solutions. 

Unlike conventional vehicles, these produce little to no harmful emissions, neutralising their impact on air quality and minimising their impact on our climate.

Eco-Friendly Packaging Materials

So now we’ve been over drones and their future use in last-mile delivery to ease the burden we’re putting on the planet, let’s take a look at how using the right type of packaging can do the same.

One of the biggest concerns with all the goods being purchased online is the amount of plastic waste it tends to generate. In a world that’s desperate to reduce the amount of plastic it uses, the fact that more and more of our goods are now bought online poses a real conundrum.

If you own an ecommerce business or your company sends many packages, one way to reduce the ecological damage is to transition to eco-friendly packaging materials. These are a real game changer as they use sustainable materials rather than plastic. 

If you’re concerned about the amount of waste you’re potentially producing, try switching to fully biodegradable packaging. These eco-friendly packaging solutions include cardboard postal packs, biodegradable tape and paper filling. 

You should also avoid polystyrene or cellophane as these are particularly bad for the environment as they don't break down and end up polluting natural habitats.

If you’re in search of some greener, cleaner packaging, speak to us today as we stock a wide range of options that should help you reduce your company’s footprint.

So that’s how drones are set to transform last-mile delivery in the future. Although these UAVs have quite a way to go before they’ll be delivering all of our goods, with some tweaks and adjustments, in the future you can expect our skies to be adorned with drones moving goods from one place to another.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a drone delivering your Amazon parcel!