PepsiCo UK saves a million food miles a year
Reduction achieved through innovative partnership with retailers and suppliers
PepsiCo UK today announces it has saved around one million unnecessary food miles from British roads each year.
By working in partnership with leading retailers the savings have been achieved by radically rethinking how PepsiCo's business moves both its raw materials and its finished goods.
PepsiCo has worked with key retailers to identify mutual transport routes. By reviewing the activities of both supplier and retailer fleets, PepsiCo has identified opportunities to eliminate empty running routes for both parties. This has resulted in the elimination of around 700,000 miles per year.
In addition, PepsiCo has also integrated two thirds of its British potato cargo into its in-house fleet. The company has designed a special trailer that combines both finished produce and bulk raw materials, resulting in a highly utilised fleet that can make customer deliveries en route to the farm. This initiative will save just under 300,000 miles per year.
These initiatives further build on recent reductions in PepsiCo's transport emissions. In 2007, the business reduced its distribution carbon footprint by 4.3%, despite shipping 10.3% more products.
This was achieved by vehicle technology investments including lower friction tyres and streamlining to reduce wind resistance, new journey-planning software, and a comprehensive training programme combined with an in-cab system that tracks fuel efficiency on a weekly basis.
Walter Todd, VP Operations, PepsiCo UK, said:
"We are always looking for innovative ways to become more efficient and this initiative not only reduces costs and improves productivity, it also reinforces our commitment to cutting carbon emissions and becoming a more environmentally sustainable business."
Dominic Burch, Head of Corporate Communications at ASDA, one of PepsiCo's retail partners for the initiative, said:
"This is a fantastic partnership and a great example of how companies can work together to minimise their environmental impact. By co-ordinating with PepsiCo on our lorry routes, we are eliminating food miles from British roads. This will help us reach our target of reducing transport CO2 emissions by 40% by the end of 2009."
Michael Rea, Chief Operating Officer of the Carbon Trust said:
"Building stronger collaborations with suppliers and retailers is a key way to drive down carbon emissions. We welcome the strategic action taken by PepsiCo and its partners to reduce emissions by working right across their supply chain."
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