PepsiCo UK has announced a series of changes across its logistics operation, which it says will lead to a 1,200-tonne reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions each year across its UK supply chain once fully rolled out.
The drinks company says it will power more than one million miles of truck journeys in the UK each year with used cooking oil. Working with PepsiCo’s haulage partner, Pollock (Scotrans) Ltd, the Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO) will replace diesel and will be used on trucks travelling between the Quaker Oat mill in Cupar and Leicester.
Every mile powered by HVO will have 80% less GHG emissions when compared with conventional diesel, PepsiCo UK says.
Since 2017, PepsiCo says all of its UK manufacturing sites have used 100% renewable electricity, with waste from producing Walkers crisps being used to make animal feed and biofuel, as well as fuelling the company’s anaerobic digestor. It says the anaerobic digestor generates 25% of electricity for the Leicester manufacturing site alone.
Alongside the switch from diesel to HVO for certain trucks, PepsiCo UK says it is introducing new electric vehicles to move the 40,000 pallets of crisps and snacks around its distribution centre in Leicester.
Using alternative fuels across our manufacturing and logistics operation is one key component in our plan to reduce our emissions footprint.
PepsiCo UK says these initiatives will help it meet its aim of reducing the ongoing impact of its journeys on the planet. It forms part of PepsiCo Positive, the company’s transformation programme which it says has health and sustainability at its centre, and includes a goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2040.
These changes come a year after the company completed a £14 million upgrade of its Leicester distribution centre site to increase storage capacity, which it says was one of its biggest logistics investments in the UK. By increasing storage capacity, the company says it removed the need to transport products to and from off-site storage facilities, taking over 300,000km off the road in transportation.
Sustainability Director, PepsiCo UK & Ireland, Simon Devaney, said: “Using alternative fuels across our manufacturing and logistics operation is one key component in our plan to reduce our emissions footprint.
“The work in this area is never done, and we’re constantly exploring every possible solution to reduce our impact on the planet. These initiatives have huge potential, and we look forward to expanding the use of lower-emission transport solutions across our UK operations.”
