Ian Firth

Earlier this year a Unilever survey found a third of consumers were choosing to buy from brands they believed were doing social or environmental good. Yet not all products that are farmed or made in an environmentally sensitive manner can boast equally sustainable credentials when it comes to how they are delivered to supermarket shelves.

Some products bought in good faith because of ‘sustainable’ boasts on the packaging are transported in half-empty diesel-powered trucks and stored in energy-consuming warehouses. Suppliers must challenge their logistics providers so their hard work isn’t nullified in the supply chain. We believe this will become increasingly important for savvy shoppers, whose demands for sustainability credentials will only intensify in coming years.

It also makes good economic sense. Lower carbon supply chains aren’t just ‘greener’, they’re cheaper. That means there’s more scope to keep prices low, without compromising on profit margins.

The good news is there is a tremendous amount that logistics companies can do to ensure systems and processes are as efficient as possible. At Bibby Distribution, we have found longer semi-trailers that can carry more products have reduced the number of journeys made, and dual-fuel vehicles have cut emissions levels.

Major investment in intelligent tankers for our milk collection fleet has also made a difference. The tankers that automate engine control when pumping have resulted in a 53% drop in fuel usage. That means, over the next five years, nearly 2,000 tonnes of CO2 will be eliminated from the supply chain associated with collecting milk for supermarkets.

Smarter planning can also deliver remarkable carbon savings, particularly when working with multiple warehouses. A ‘virtual warehouse’ system developed by Bibby in conjunction with Tayto has removed about 500 tonnes of CO2 every year, thanks to an algorithm that calculates the most efficient way of loading and routing.

Let’s also not forget the human factor. We’ve implemented full fleet telematics that provide better clarity over delivery windows and also allow us to tailor training for drivers to eliminate inefficient performance such as over-revving. It reduces fuel usage and improves safety. In the first year alone, this cut carbon emissions per vehicle by 8%.

These kinds of systems can provide additional benefits. A sustainable supply chain is a key differentiator. There’s an opportunity for competitors to define themselves as the supermarket with the lowest proportional carbon footprint as a result of a low-carbon supply chain.

There is no off-the-shelf answer to incorporating a lower-carbon and lower-cost supply chain, so it is important to find a flexible and proactive logistics provider that tailors its offering to you. Once you have found the right partner, be sure to record the results you achieve and share them. The supply chain is a key part of the sustainability story, and will only become more of a focus.

Ian Firth is the retail divisional development director for Bibby Distribution

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