You wrote. You called. And we listened. Starting this month, 60% of FreshDirect orders will have fewer boxes. Over the past year, we've had a dedicated team working to rethink our systems, reprogram our software and install thousands of feet of new conveyor belts. But now all that work is paying off. Re-engineering our facility will eliminate 70% of the boxes that contain only one or two items.

Quite honestly, sending out excess delivery boxes didn't make us happy either. Food quality and safety were in the forefront of our minds seven years ago when we set up FreshDirect.

We divided different foods into 12 separate climate zones at our Long Island City facility. Our three separate assembly processes created separate boxes, and far too often we ended up delivering boxes that contained just one or two items.

We realize 70% is not perfection. Occasionally, a single-item box will still slip by, and safety dictates that some items will need to be packed separately. But we know these changes will result in a big difference in the number of boxes that enter our customers' homes and recycling bins each year. This year, we're looking at a lot less:
We'll send out approximately 20% less cardboard-->
60% of our orders will see a reduction in boxes
We'll send out 70% fewer boxes that contain just one to two items
We estimate we'll use roughly 1,250,000 fewer boxes on an annual basisJust to put that in perspective, our annual box reduction should add up to about 1,062,500 lb — which is roughly the weight of a fully loaded 747 airplane or almost three and a half blue whales. We believe this could add up to a savings of about 99 truckloads of city recycling. We know it's important. You know it's important. And we want you know that this packaging change is just one of many eco-sensitivity initiatives we're working on. Companywide, we're examining all the packaging we produce and seeking ways to deliver food to our customers in ways that sufficiently protect the food while being less impactful on the planet. Click here to learn more about our goals.