DHL and Formula 1® Focus on Sustainability in 2022

At the start of a new record year for the FIA Formula 1 World Championship calendar, DHL is delivering the first race of the season, taking place on March 20, 2022, in Bahrain. The 2022 Formula 1® calendar, the largest in the history of the racing series, includes races on six continents, featuring several double races and triple headers – three races on three consecutive weekends – as well as the premiere of the Miami Grand Prix.

(Bonn) With a new technical regulation, the year 2022 also marks a new era in Formula 1: The latest generation of Formula 1 cars is designed for closer racing, as well as increased safety and sustainability. The new cars run on E10 gasoline, a mixture of 90 percent fossil fuel and 10 percent ethanol. This brings Formula 1 a step closer to its goal of using a 100 percent sustainable fuel hybrid engine by 2025.

DHL will again support the enormous logistical effort behind the scenes of Formula 1 races this year, transporting up to 1,400 tons of valuable cargo to each race, including racing cars, tires, spare parts, fuel, broadcasting equipment, and marketing and hospitality supplies. As a logistics partner, DHL contributes to achieving the goal of a climate-neutral Formula 1 by 2030. To this end, the entire truck fleet used for Formula 1 has been equipped with a GPS system to monitor fuel consumption, choose the most efficient routes, and reduce CO2 emissions. Additionally, DHL uses fuel-efficient Boeing 777 freighters, which reduce CO2 emissions by 18 percent compared to conventional aircraft, and employs multimodal transport solutions including land transport and sea freight.

Logistics Remains a Key Factor

“We have been managing the logistics of Formula 1 for almost 40 years. Given the steadily growing popularity of the sport – more and more race dates and venues are being added to the season calendar – logistics remains a key factor in the F1 experience,” says Arjan Sissing, Head of Global Brand Marketing at Deutsche Post DHL Group. “Today, we focus on helping Formula 1 reduce its CO2 footprint and overall environmental impact. As a pioneer of green logistics, we have everything needed to fulfill this promise. We are very proud to support F1 in setting new standards in automotive technology and sustainability. The racing series has not only developed the most efficient hybrid system ever built but is now intensifying its efforts to develop a 100 percent sustainable drop-in fuel from bio-waste – a biofuel that could be used by cars and trucks around the world.”

DHL will again leverage its high-profile partnership with Formula 1 in 2022 to promote smaller brands and artists who creatively advocate for sustainable solutions. On March 9, a day before the Formula 1 Aramco testing in Bahrain, DHL announced a new collaboration with BEEN London, an award-winning sustainable fashion label that relies entirely on recycled materials. The company, described by British Vogue as one of the most innovative fashion brands in the world, is developing a limited collection “DHL x BEEN London. The Circuit Collection” of sustainable items – made from recycled DHL banners that famously adorn Formula 1 tracks around the world.

Innovative Power for Sustainable Transport Technologies

“Formula 1 is increasingly focusing its innovative power on sustainable transport technologies, making a significant contribution to global efforts for greater sustainability. However, we also want to draw attention to the ‘smaller’ positive impacts of new approaches and ideas from young companies like BEEN London,” says Sissing. “As part of our broader efforts for more sustainability, the collaboration with BEEN London emphasizes promoting diversity and supporting individuals who are making a difference in the sustainability sector by providing them with a platform to showcase their work.”

All items from BEEN London are fully handcrafted in one of the last leather workshops in London’s East End and packaged by learning-disabled Londoners. The CO2 footprint of the items is on average ten times lower than that of a corresponding conventional product.

At the announcement of the partnership at the DHL Luxury and Fashion Forum in Dubai on March 9, BEEN founder Genia Mineeva explained the significant message her small company aims to convey: “Every member of our BEEN London team intends to make a real, measurable impact on the fashion industry by proving that waste can be transformed into something beautiful. We welcome this initiative from DHL as a high-profile opportunity to do just that – to show the world what can be done with recycled waste by creating a limited collection of beautiful travel sets from old track advertising for a very good cause.”

Proceeds Go to Combating Plastic in Oceans

The travel sets will be sold on the BEEN London website as a limited collection. Proceeds will go to Plastic Bank, a social enterprise that helps the world tackle the plastic problem in the oceans while improving the quality of life for material collectors. Plastic Bank builds ethical recycling ecosystems in coastal communities and ensures the reprocessing and reintegration of materials into the global production chain. For the collected materials, collectors receive compensation that helps them meet their families’ basic needs, such as food, cooking fuel, school fees, and health insurance. “Plastic Bank is the perfect partner for our recycling campaign with BEEN London – a great example of social entrepreneurship that leverages the value of plastic waste to mitigate a growing threat to our oceans,” says Sissing.

To accelerate the transition to a more sustainable economy over the next ten years, Deutsche Post DHL Group will invest a total of seven billion euros in clean logistics processes as part of its sustainability roadmap by 2030. The goal is to reduce CO2 emissions from 33 million tons in 2020 to below 29 million tons by 2030 – despite the expected further growth of the group’s global logistics activities. To achieve its goal, the group will increase the share of sustainable fuels in line transport to over 30 percent, raise the blending of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to over 30 percent, offer green alternatives for 100 percent of all core products and solutions, and ensure that 100 percent of all new buildings are climate-neutral. Additionally, 60 percent of the global delivery vehicles for the last mile will be converted to electric drives by 2030. This will grow Deutsche Post DHL Group’s electric fleet to over 80,000 vehicles.

Oldest Global Partner of the Racing Series

As the official logistics partner of Formula 1 since 2004 and the oldest global partner of the racing series, DHL employs a team of 35 motorsport logistics specialists who focus solely on transporting Formula 1 around the world as efficiently as possible. “It is a true partnership built on speed, precision, and – increasingly – sustainability,” says Sissing.

Photo: © DHL