Business of the Month – Carbon Neutral Vending
In an era where sustainability is a key business focus, Carbon Neutral Vending is setting a new benchmark in the vending industry.
Founded and run by James Bond and his wife Katherine, this family-owned business has been providing high-quality vending solutions for over 20 years. Here we talk to James about their own journey towards carbon neutrality and how they are helping their customers and their industry to make positive changes for the planet.
A commitment to growth and sustainability
Four years ago, in February 2021, we moved into our own building on Brackmills. As well as much needed space to expand, this move gave us greater control over our end-to-end operations and enabled us to really commit to running a more sustainable business model.
Now in our fourth year of operating as a carbon-neutral business, we have achieved a meaningful 42% reduction in our carbon footprint. Our fleet of delivery and servicing vans is now fully electric and regular audits measure and verify our emissions, demonstrating the effectiveness of our initiatives.
I am a firm believer in the importance of tackling achievable sustainability goals. Carbon neutrality is a tough challenge and offsetting is a necessary component of reducing operational impact. But businesses shouldn’t stand still just because the task seems daunting. In just four years, we have significantly reduced our carbon footprint and we continue to help our customers achieve their own sustainability goals every day.
Practical solutions for a greener future
One of our most successful sustainability initiatives has been the introduction of reusable coffee cups. These cups, which can be custom-branded for our clients, have already made a significant impact.
Neighbouring Brackmills businesses like Decathlon, ILG and DSV are all on board to reduce the number of single-use cups, and collectively will stop over 150,000 of them from ending up in landfill every year thanks to this initiative.
For customers offering free-vend hot drinks to their staff, these reusable cups are provided at no cost. For those who charge for drinks, a discount is applied when using a reusable cup, encouraging wider adoption.
Fresh, delicious food made locally every day
In addition to supporting our customers with their sustainability efforts, we are also passionate about providing the highest quality food and drink options. Our partnership with the team at Grub Hub means that fresh food is prepared daily on-site at Brackmills and supplied fresh every day. We know that by offering convenient, high-quality food and bean to cup coffee, our customers benefit from improved staff retention and productivity, as their employees can enjoy nutritious, affordable meals without leaving the workplace.
The future of vending – doing things differently to drive change
Our growth plans are ambitious – we aim to double in size by 2030, both in terms of our turnover and our staffing levels. Through innovation and our unwavering commitment to reducing environmental impact, we have a vision to transform the way things are done in our industry.
For example, unlike some of our competitors, we do not simply replace vending machines when contracts expire. Recently, we purchased 150 of what were still some of the latest vending machines that would otherwise have been scrapped, refurbishing them to extend their lifecycle and prevent unnecessary waste.
And we also believe there is the opportunity to transform the traditional vending experience. Our next phase of growth will involve creating a more retail-like environment for vending solutions, offering bespoke and branded shop-style setups tailored to client needs.
By providing greener solutions and an enhanced user experience offering fresh, locally produced food, we are driving real change, one vending machine at a time.
