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Apr 21, 2021 at 6:45 PMThe Lean and Green initiative awards Lean and Green 1st Stars for the successful reduction of CO2 emissions. The companies BLG Logistics, Capri-Sun GmbH, the freight forwarding company J. Greilmeier, and the Nagel Group were honored. The award ceremony took place during the Digital Edition of Log 2021.
(Cologne) Sustainability is increasingly becoming a strategic competitive factor in the logistics and transport industry. Not least due to the CO2 pricing that has been in effect in Germany since the beginning of this year in the heating and transport sectors, economic aspects are playing a role alongside ecological goals. Measures to reduce emissions are gaining new strategic significance in this context.
These four companies have recently demonstrated that it is possible to significantly improve the CO2 footprint through process optimization and the use of new technologies as part of the Lean and Green initiative: BLG Logistics, Capri-Sun GmbH, the freight forwarding company J. Greilmeier, and the Nagel Group. They were awarded the Lean and Green 1st Star by GS1 Germany for this achievement. The official award ceremony took place today as part of the Digital Edition of the Logistics Congress Log 2021. The Lean and Green 1st Star is awarded when CO2 emissions can be demonstrably reduced by 20 percent within five years.
BLG Logistics: Sustainability as a Competitive Factor
BLG Logistics achieved the first stage of Lean and Green certification back in 2015 with its action plan for carbon dioxide savings and received the Lean and Green Award for it. BLG is the first logistics service provider in Germany whose climate protection goals are scientifically recognized. The internationally active company aims to become climate-neutral by 2030. “Winning the Lean and Green 1st Star shows that we are on the right track to achieve our goal. We want to demonstrate that by choosing the right measures, ecological sustainability contributes to strengthening the economic efficiency and competitiveness of the company,” says Thomas Krüger, Managing Director of BLG Handelslogistik GmbH & Co. KG. To further reduce emissions of climate-damaging greenhouse gases, BLG Logistics primarily focuses on three levers: 1. Increasing energy efficiency, 2. Utilizing renewable sources for its own electricity production, and 3. Purchasing green electricity. This approach has already led to a significant reduction in energy demand at the location of the subsidiary BLG Sports & Fashion in Hörsel. Specifically, the lighting has been converted to LED, the ventilation system has been modified, energy-saving heating pumps have been installed, and the automatic ironing system for textiles has been modernized. Furthermore, the commissioning of a combined heat and power plant has reduced the share of purchased electricity by 30 percent.
Greilmeier: Achieving Goals with a Modern Fleet and Continuous Optimizations
The freight forwarding company J. Greilmeier consistently relies on a modern fleet, which has consisted of 96 percent EURO VI vehicles since 2020. With over 76 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions caused in 2020, the in-house fleet plays the most significant role within the balance sheet boundaries. In addition to the technical innovations of the vehicles, regular driver training and an internal competition for “Economical Driving” contributed to lower diesel consumption. The competition specifically focused on anticipatory driving and high use of cruise control. The use of modern long trailers in both the refrigerated and dry sectors, thus transporting more loading spaces per trip, has also contributed to CO2 reduction. Furthermore, the freight forwarding company was able to increase the number of individual orders per trip through optimized planning. Thus, despite increasing orders, the number of trips decreased. “These and other optimization measures have contributed to achieving our reduction targets and thus the award of the Lean and Green 1st Star. We are pleased that our efforts pay off: for our company and especially for the environment,” says Sebastian Greilmeier.
Capri-Sun GmbH: Central High-Bay Warehouse Reduces CO2 Emissions
The provider of the well-known fruit juice drink has ambitious goals: The company based in Eppelheim near Heidelberg aims to become the most sustainable children’s beverage brand in the world. The certification for the Lean and Green 1st Star, achieved and communicated in 2020, is an important milestone on the way there. Currently, the application for certification with the Lean and Green 2nd Star is also being considered. The central high-bay warehouse at the company headquarters, which was put into operation six years ago, is the focal point of the measures for CO2 reduction. Overall, Capri-Sun GmbH has been able to reduce CO2 emissions by 34 percent.
Nagel-Group: Modernization of the Fleet and Avoidance of Empty Kilometers
The Nagel Group had already achieved the target set for certification with the Lean and Green 1st Star last year: The logistics company was able to reduce CO2 emissions per transported ton of shipment weight by one-fifth since 2016. A significant part of this success is due to the continuous modernization of the fleet by switching to EURO 6 tractor units, intensive training of the driving personnel in terms of fuel-efficient driving, and the avoidance of empty kilometers.
About Lean and Green
The Lean and Green initiative has been recognizing companies for their sustainable commitment in the areas of transport and logistics since 2014. How the specific actions to reduce greenhouse gases look is left to the companies. Everything that protects the climate counts, from the use of modern telematics systems to logistics collaborations to fuel-efficient driving. “More and more companies recognize the strategic relevance, join the Lean and Green initiative, and especially appreciate the exchange of experiences with like-minded individuals,” explains Oliver Püthe, who supports the Lean and Green Community at GS1 Germany.
Signet: © GS1
