GrubHub.com Works to Minimize Its Carbon Footprint

CHICAGO, April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- GrubHub.com (http://www.grubhub.com/), a fast-growing online service that shows people all the local restaurants that deliver and allows them to order directly online or by phone, has found a unique approach to reduce its carbon footprint. Through its carbon credit program, GrubHub.com buys credits that offset the environmental impact of the greenhouse gas emissions from all the vehicles delivering food ordered on its website.

To determine how many carbon credits to purchase, GrubHub.com takes the average delivery distance, and multiplies it by the average miles/gallon of the typical delivery car and the number of deliveries placed per month. The company then buys enough credits to offset that amount.

"GrubHub.com has quickly expanded into new cities, and as a result we've become more conscious of the gas emissions that are associated with delivery cars," said Matt Maloney, GrubHub.com co-founder and CEO. "The carbon credit program has given us an immediate and tangible way to proactively contribute to the well being and preservation of the environment."

Working with Carbon Solutions Group (CSG) to find a project aligned with its environmental goals, GrubHub.com chose to support the Garcia River Forest — a certified carbon offset project. The Nature Conservancy and The Conservation Fund acquired this heavily-cut forest property on California's north coast in 2004 to restore important habitat and help reduce climate change. The area covers a 24,000-acre expanse of redwood and Douglas fir forests along the Garcia River in Mendocino County, CA.  

"Purchasing the carbon credits is among the many things we look to do to move the company in an eco-friendly direction," said Maloney. "GrubHub.com is 100 percent committed to environmental responsibility, and we hope to lead by example and inspire others to take action."

In addition to its carbon credit program, GrubHub.com offers people ordering online the option to decline disposable items like plastic utensils, paper napkins and straws. More than 25 percent of GrubHub.com users utilize this beneficial feature on the Web site. To help support Earth Day on April 22, GrubHub.com is encouraging more people to take advantage of this option.  

GrubHub.com offers access to over 11,000 delivery restaurant menus and enables consumers to find local restaurants and search by menu items, making ordering food easier, faster and more convenient online. GrubHub.com currently operates in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C and San Diego. The company plans to expand into more cities by the end of 2010.

About GrubHub.com

GrubHub.com is an industry leader in the online restaurant delivery space. Founded in 2004, the venture-backed company has grown rapidly, and works with over 3,000 restaurants for online ordering. GrubHub.com shows menus from over 11,000 restaurants in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and San Diego.

GrubHub.com has been featured on NPR, Fox Morning News, WGN News and in numerous publications including Forbes.com, San Francisco Chronicle, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Sun-Times, Crain's Chicago Business, TechCrunch, CNET and Mashable.com. Headquartered in Chicago, the company was named among Brill Street's "2009 Top 50 Employers for Generation Y Chicago."

For more information visit www.grubhub.com

SOURCE GrubHub.com