Sustainable Logistics: Advancing Environmental Responsibility in Supply Chains

Sustainable logistics

Sustainability in logistics is gaining prominence as a crucial topic. At AW Baxter, we are dedicated to cultivating an environmentally friendly supply chain, recognizing our responsibility to the planet. But what exactly is sustainable logistics?

What is sustainable logistics? 

In essence, it involves making the transportation of goods more environmentally sustainable by reducing its impact on the world. It encompasses every aspect of logistics, freight, and transportation, focusing on minimizing environmental harm at each stage of the process. We aim to shed light on these stages and explore ways to enhance sustainability throughout.

Why Choose Sustainable Logistics?

In today's world, there's a growing demand from investors, consumers, and employees across various sectors for businesses to adopt sustainable practices. This call to action is more urgent than ever. For example, in 2023, 37% of adults in the UK consciously selected brands based on their environmental sustainability. Similarly, 30% stopped buying from brands that lacked ethical or sustainable practices. Additionally, a significant 39% preferred brands that prioritized eco-friendly methods (Deloitte, 2023).

These statistics highlight a notable shift in consumer behaviour, emphasizing the increasing importance of sustainability in business. It's clear that embracing sustainability isn't just about protecting the environment; it's also a key factor in the success of businesses in today's market.

So, what can you do?

• Comprehensive Sustainability Assessment – Implementing a thorough assessment to pinpoint areas within our workflow where sustainable practices can be integrated effectively.
• Optimized Travel Routes – Streamlining travel routes to minimize fuel consumption and travel time, ensuring the most efficient paths are taken.
• Minimize Empty Cargo and Fuel Waste – Implement strategies to reduce empty cargo space and wasted fuel, such as maximizing vehicle capacity, ensuring continuous movement of goods during long trips, and exploring options like part-load services or return load capabilities.
• Utilization of Sustainable Materials – Embracing sustainable materials both in office spaces and warehouses, such as utilizing packaging made from responsibly sourced wood or other eco-friendly alternatives.
• Integration of Greener Fleet Alternatives – Considering the adoption of environmentally friendly alternatives like electric vehicles to reduce the carbon footprint of our fleet operations.

By enhancing these aspects, we can significantly enhance our sustainability efforts and contribute positively to the environment while optimizing our operations.

How does AW Baxter contribute to a more sustainable business model?

While we continue our journey towards full sustainability, we are actively implementing strategies to enhance our environmental impact. Our initiatives are geared towards optimizing efficiency and minimizing waste across our operations.

1. National Part Load Service – Introducing our National part load service has been a pivotal step. By maximizing truck space utilization, we not only assist businesses nationwide commercially, but also significantly reduce number of trailers on the road and consequently fuel consumption. This approach aligns with our commitment to minimizing our carbon footprint and promoting eco-friendly logistics
2. Route Optimization – We continuously refine our transportation routes to minimize transit times. This not only reduces fuel consumption but also mitigates vehicle emissions. Through meticulous planning, we strive to enhance operational efficiency while simultaneously lessening our environmental impact.
3. Return Load Utilization – We prioritize the utilization of return loads to ensure that our trucks are never empty on the road. This practice not only maximizes resource efficiency but also minimizes unnecessary fuel usage. By adopting a circular approach to logistics, we actively contribute to reducing emissions associated with transport.
4. Sustainable Packaging – As a responsible purchaser our well-established relationships with sawmills throughout the UK and Scandinavia are focused on sustainability. Sourcing material that is fully certified and fully adheres to the TTF responsible purchasing policy RPP. All our kiln dried timber complies with the strict ISPM15 regulations as members of the Forestry Commission UK Wood Packaging Material Marking Programme – registration FC0160.

We're committed to enhancing our sustainability efforts in the years ahead, and these initial steps mark our progress towards a greener future. We're dedicated to further improving our supply chain and advancing towards a more environmentally-friendly business model, and we encourage you to join us on this journey.

Contact us today for all your sustainable logistics needs:

+44 (0)1902 492205

sales@baxtersgroup.com

Sources:

Deloitte, The Sustainable Consumer, 2023 - https://www2.deloitte.com/uk/en/pages/consumer-business/articles/sustainable-consumer.html