Íslandspóstur marks Green Postal Day with major strides in sustainable logistics

Through international collaboration, postal companies have achieved a remarkable reduction in emissions, equivalent to removing 6.7 million cars from traffic for an entire year.

The Green Postal Day is organized by the International Postal Corporation (IPC) and is now in its seventh year. "On this day, we celebrate the success that postal companies can achieve together in sustainability and climate action, and we want to emphasize the importance of a sustainable postal service," says Ásdís Káradóttir, Sustainability Manager at Íslandspóstur.

Íslandspóstur joined this collaborative effort in 2023 and has already made significant contributions through the energy transition of its vehicle fleet.

"We have contributed, among other things, with the energy transition of our vehicle fleet," explains Ásdís. "Our six largest trucks now run entirely on hydro-treated vegetable oil, VLO100, instead of conventional diesel. VLO100 is produced from recycled vegetable oil and organic waste materials. By using VLO100, carbon dioxide (CO2​) emissions are reduced by 90%."

This initiative has yielded impressive results. Emissions from Íslandspóstur's fleet decreased by 28% between 2023 and 2024, and indications suggest a further reduction this year. "That is something to celebrate," says Ásdís.

According to Ásdís, the participating postal companies have set a common goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030. Since the collaboration began in 2008, they have collectively managed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in their operations by over 31 million tonnes.

This reduction is equivalent to:

• The annual energy savings of 31 million solar panels, sufficient to power four million average European households for a year.
• The carbon emissions saved by 11,373 onshore wind turbines in one year.
• Taking approximately 6.7 million cars off the road for an entire year.

Ásdís highlights that international cooperation provides Íslandspóstur with opportunities to learn from other postal companies and gather ideas for new projects and goals. Many hands make light work, and we are confident that together we will go further towards a greener future for coming generations. It also motivates us to be able to compare our success with the success of other postal companies. In addition, we can present relevant information in a disciplined manner because the methodology and data we provide are regularly reviewed by certified auditors.

Íslandspóstur is a Klappir customer and a product partner. The Klappir Sustainability Platform helps Íslandspóstur to effectively stay on top of its carbon emissions, track its progress against targets, and publish its sustainability report based on activity data.

Source: Adapted and translated from an article by Íslandspóstur, available here.