Logistics and transport are considered to be one of the worst industries for the environment. However, the concept of sustainable development and greater care for the environment forced many changes in these areas. More and more companies offer packaging made of recycled materials, enterprises consider pro-green activities as a pillar of their business, and carriers pay additional fees to compensate for CO2 emissions. The shift towards green is the unquestionable future of this industry. At Omnipack, we are also concerned about environmental issues. If you’d like to know what actions we and our merchants are taking - read on!
The concept of green logistics was created in the mid-1980s as a response to the increasing devastation of the environment by human activities, including to a large extent logistics and transport. Its goal is to use advanced technologies and modern solutions to minimize environmental damage caused during logistics operations. Today, almost 30 years later, there is still a lot to do in this regard.
eCustomers expect green solutions
57% of consumers are willing to change their purchasing habits to help reduce negative environmental impact. They pay a lot of attention to issues related to logistics and packaging - a large amount of foil, cardboard boxes that do not match the size and fillers made of non-ecological materials.
The market is slowly running out of space for businesses that do not think about green issues.
Green logistics at Omnipack
At Omnipack, we know that we have a high environmental responsibility. Logistics is one of the main aspects that requires optimization in order for the business to operate in a sustainable and environmentally-friendly manner. Both our merchants and their customers expect environmentally-friendly logistics operations, which is why we are constantly developing and optimizing our processes in this area.
Green space
In our logistics centers, we have used green solutions: valves regulating water intake, sub-meters allowing for constant monitoring of utilities and real savings during the operation of the building. We use intelligent LED luminaires that reduce electricity consumption by up to 30%.
The spaces we rent have the BREEAM certificate (BRE Environmental Assessment Method), which is currently one of the most frequently used methods of assessing buildings in terms of their environmental performance in Europe. It assesses the efficiency of buildings in many aspects, including energy, CO2 emissions, water consumption, materials used in the construction, landscaping and factors affecting the well-being of employees: the amount of daylight, temperature, air quality and acoustics.
Waste management
In each of our logistics centers, we segregate waste with codes:
- 15 01 01 - paper and cardboard packaging
- 15 01 02 - plastic packaging (separate color and transparent foil)
We are also registered in the Waste Database, which supervises our waste management. Additionally, thanks to this register, we were able to sign waste collection and treatment contracts for each of our warehouse locations. In Nadarzyn, this process is handled by Medien Partner Recykling, and in Gorzów Wielkopolski, INNEKO Spółka z o.o. Companies collect sorted waste from us, which is then recycled and reused.
Environmentally-friendly packaging
Cardboard boxes with the Omnipack logo, which we make available to our customers at no extra charge, are made of 100% recycled materials. We also provide merchants with a wide range of environmentally-friendly packaging, fillers and tapes made of biodegradable materials.
The products are packed in appropriate-sized packages to optimize the transport of parcels, thus reducing the carbon footprint.
In addition, we have also established cooperation in the field of environmental consulting with a partner Project Zero Waste, who helps us ensure compliance with environmental regulations.
Examples from our merchants
Every merchant who cares not only about their customers but also about the environment pleases us twice. More and more often, we notice that green issues are important for many companies, especially those operating in the field of fashion and beauty. Below we present 3 examples of our clients who have sustainable development in their DNA:
Saint and Sofia
Saint and Sofia is a British fashion company that places great emphasis on sustainability in fashion. The brand works on many levels to minimize the harmful impact of the fashion industry on the environment. It starts with the production process itself - it relies on natural, eco-friendly materials such as Ecovero, Cupro, Tencel and Econyl, as well as certified, ecological cotton. In logistics, they also refuse to compromise - using biodegradable materials for packaging, that are recyclable and do not require dyeing with harmful substances. Saint and Sofia's logistics centers are strategically located to reduce carbon footprint. In addition, the brand engages in tree planting campaigns to compensate for CO2 emissions.
Source: https://saintandsofia.com/pages/delivery-service
Nago
Nago is a Polish company that specializes in classic cuts. What distinguishes Nago is the high-quality natural fabrics from which their designs are made. As they say, "More important than a fashionable pattern on a fabric is its origin, method of production and the conditions in which - thanks to hard human work - it has been transformed into the final product." Every year, 1% of the turnover from the sale of eco-friendly clothes goes to the accounts of foundations supporting environmental protection.
Source: https://nago.com/pages/misja
Olsen
Olsen is a brand that knows that fashion and sustainability can go hand in hand. Its wide product portfolio includes clothes made of Repreve® and ECOVERO ™ fabrics. The first is made of fibers recovered from plastic bottles, the second is viscose made of wood and wood pulp obtained only from certified and controlled sources. Olsen also uses organic cotton, the cultivation of which uses much less water and does not use pesticides, which makes the material friendly not only to the planet, but also to our body. The brand also focuses on "vegan leather", ie eco-friendly leather made of synthetic fibers.
Orders are shipped in environmentally-friendly cardboard boxes that do not use harmful dyes. No fillers are used in the packages, instead our employees cut the cartons to the appropriate size - it also minimizes the space needed for transport, and thus CO2 emissions. The brand also replaced the plastic adhesive tape with a paper one.
Source: https://eolsen.pl/strona/jestesmy-eko
Summary
Both we and our customers know that sustainability is the future. But you have to start acting today. Each new merchant that has pro-environmental attitudes in its DNA motivates us even more to improve our operations and make them more eco-friendly. We believe that together we can do a lot! If you want to build green logistics with us, please contact us here.
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