Mars UK is achieving significantly fewer and friendlier transport miles by maximising load fill of delivery trucks, minimising journey distances, working with hauliers to implement environmental best practice and using rail rather than road wherever viable.
Mars petcare, chocolate and food products each require different strategies to minimise transport miles. For example, imports are a significant characteristic of the petfood business. By shifting production from continental Europe to facilities within the UK, the company is progressing its green agenda.
Warehousing has been reorganised to take a mix of products. This has enabled consolidated deliveries of petcare, chocolate and food products thereby improving truck fill. This has saved over 500,000 road kilometres per year.
The utilisation of available cube on factory clearance vehicles has also been under scrutiny. Some sites have implemented the use of double deck trailers or double stacking pallets with others coming on stream.
The hauliers operating for Mars UK all have to demonstrate their green credentials. Use of technology and driver training has been proven to lower the fuel use within these companies.
On a smaller scale, Mars shares a rail service to Scotland for some of its products with other suppliers. This mode of transport produces only 10% of the greenhouse gases of transporting the same load a similar distance by lorry.