Sainsbury’s Fleet Drives Carbon Reductions

Sainsbury’s has extended its dual-fuel fleet to 51 vehicles, saving up to 25 percent in carbon emissions, the UK supermarket chain says.

The fleet operates on a combination of diesel and biomethane, produced from rotting organic material in landfill.

Each dual-fuel vehicle will save about 41 metric tons of CO2 from being dispersed into the atmosphere each year; the entire fleet will save more than 2,090 metric tons of CO2 annually, Sainsbury’s says.

The fleet, based at the retailer’s Emerald Park Distribution Centre in Bristol, is serving stores and depots in Wales and the South West. An on-site refuelling station has also been installed to improve fuelling efficiency and allow a larger number of dual-fuel vehicles to enter Sainsbury’s fleet over time.

Nick Davies, Sainsbury’s head of transport operations, says the Dual-Fuel fleet will also help the company achieve its no waste to landfill policy. In addition to delivering to stores, the fleet also back hauls any food waste and recyclable materials.

In 2008 Sainsbury’s was the first supermarket to make daily food deliveries using a truck powered by bio-methane. One year later it ran a successful trial of five dual-fuel vehicles to support its environmental targets.

Sainsbury’s has set a goal to reduce its depot to store transport CO2 emissions by 35 percent by 2020 and achieve an absolute reduction of 50 percent by 2030, against a 2005 baseline, while growing its business.

The company — along with all major UK grocery chains — was among the 45 UK retailers, manufacturers and brands that last month committed to reducing food and drink waste by 1.1 million metric tons by 2015 in the third phase of the Courtauld Commitment.

In April, Sainsbury’s joined a UK government-backed program aimed at improving the adoption of hydrogen-powered vehicles and supporting infrastructure.

The same month, Sainsbury’s said it has reduced its operational water use 50 percent relative across its stores, against a 2005-06 baseline, employing a number of measures including recycling, leak detection and rainwater harvesting. The water savings equal about 982,500 cubic meters each year.