Greening transport and logistics

Transport and logistics can account for a big share of manufacturers' environmental impact because their activities are often dispersed across a large geographical area, to be close to input sources and ensure market coverage.

The UK's Food and Drink Federation has published a 10-point checklist to encourage fleet operators to

adopt more sustainable practices. 65 These include prioritising transportation by train or ship wherever

possible.

General Mills, for example, combines shipments for Green Giant Sweetcorn, Old El Paso, and Nature Valley,

all of which are manufactured in south west France or northern Spain, sending them by sea from the Port of

Bilbao to Liverpool. 66

Other tips from FDF concern reducing the impact of road haulage where it cannot be avoided, such as for small loads and the final stage of a journey. How a vehicle is loaded, how it is driven, and how it is maintained can all make a difference, as can use of modern vehicles that comply with the latest EU emissions standards and run on alternative fuel.

Britvic is one company that set out to green its road fleet, aiming for 10% electric and alternative vehicles

by 2020; by 2019 it had already reached 18%, with 30% of new vehicle orders for hybrid vehicles. Average

CO2 emissions across Britvic's fleet are now 103g/km. 67

Off-site - or rather, between sites - optimising distribution routes contributes to emissions reduction.

Telematics and tracking can recommend the best routes during a journey, while software can pre

emptively create the shortest connections between goods and customers, saving distance, costs and

CO2. Südzucker uses software to optimise distribution between its 25+ factories and refineries, warehouses,

and delivery destinations. 68

According to a white paper by Coca Cola Europe and Cranfield University, big data, block chain, and

the Internet of Things enable tighter operations and resource savings, revolutionizing quality assurance and

efficiency. 69 For instance, Coca Cola Europe established an Automated Storage and Retrieval Warehouse

at its Sidcup site in the UK, resulting in a reduction of 10,000 road miles (16,093 km) per year and 3,800 tonnes of CO2.