Partnering the grocery saviours: DPD Germany supports the SIRPLUS online shop

Since September DPD Germany ships goods from the SIRPLUS online shop at cost price. The social impact start-up is dedicated to saving grceries that would otherwise be disposed of as garbage. On the basis of this cooperation DPD DPD also promotes the sustainable SIRPLUS approach among its own employees. During a visit of one of three so-called „rescue supermarkets“ in Berlin, DPD employees were able to gain an impression of how modern grocery rescue works at first hand.

The goal was to create greater awareness and appreciation of food, together with more sustainable supplies. DPD employees that were unable to participate in the trip to Berlin can still contribute to this cause. The DPD staff can order so-called „rescue boxes“ for at special conditions, as well as online subscriptions.

Together, SIRPLUS and DPD want to reduce the waste of food. After all:  In Germany 18 million tons of perfectly good food is simply dumped every year. SIRPLUS, the country’s first supermarket selling groceries that would otherwise be disposed of as garbage, is campaigning against this problematic situation.

The SIRPLUS “rescue supermarkets” return groceries to the food cycle for sale in the shop or for home delivery. By 2022 a total of 35 SIRPLUS stores are to be opened throughout Europe. The vision of the “food saviours” is to rescue five million tons of food from the garbage bin over the next ten years. The social impact start-up markets all kinds of food that can no longer be sold in the conventional way – for example because vegetables are misshapen or the sell-by date of products has been reached, or simply because too much of something has been produced.

For almost two years now DPD has been supporting SIRPLUS founder and CEO Raphael Fellmer – also known from the TV series “Die Höhle der Löwen” (“Dragons’ Den”) – within the Ashoka social entrepreneurial network. Ashoka is a global network for individuals and organisations who contribute to solving social problems with an entrepreneurial mindset and innovative approaches. The international DPDgroup has been a supporter of Ashoka for many years. Since 2011 DPDgroup has supported 13 social entrepreneurs through Ashoka, and “innovative entrepreneurial action” is one of the four focal points of the group’s CSR strategy DrivingChange™.