DHL and Mars UK have opened a warehousing facility at London Thames Gateway as part of Mars UK’s £350m (US$448m) project with DHL to reduce its carbon footprint by 7.7% and remove a million miles a year from roads – which is 40 times around the world.
The facility is 42m tall and features 3,700 solar panels, which produce 27% of the site’s power. It has achieved BREEAM Outstanding accreditation, placing it in the top 1% of non-domestic buildings in the UK, environmentally.
The building’s operations incorporate automated pallet storage and retrieval (ASRS) technology and the gateway facility also features high-frequency charging of equipment, resulting in up to 30% less energy use, plus rainwater harvesting and LED lighting throughout.
The new site – plus the recently opened East Midlands Gateway facility – will increase Mars’ UK warehousing capacity by over 50%. The warehouses have strong transportation links, allowing Mars to streamline the inbound and outbound distribution of its product portfolio and remove one million miles a year from roads. Mars UK transports over 1.2 million pallets of its products every year.
Adam Grant, general manager of Mars Wrigley, said, “Today is a major milestone for Mars UK’s logistics operations and a meaningful step in our sustainability journey. Over the past few years, our partnership with DHL has seen the completion of two pioneering facilities. Not only does this futureproof our distribution practices but it also puts into action Mars’ aim to create a world-class logistics operation that is sustainable, smart and agile.”
Saul Resnick, CEO of DHL Supply Chain UK and Ireland, said, “This project with Mars UK further solidifies our belief that working with partners whose business and sustainability targets align with your own allows you to achieve the best results. This partnership does exactly that – it represents a great example for others of how businesses can work together to reduce their carbon footprint and create a more sustainable future. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Mars UK and supporting the company’s growth in the years to come.”
Read more key construction and development updates from the parcel and postal technology industry, here.