Nestlé UK and Ireland has reached a milestone in its commitment to sustainability with the introduction of a rail container that enables the efficient transport of double-stacked pallets. The container, the first of its kind, was recently delivered to Tesco, marking a significant step towards greener distribution strategies.
In the trial, the rail container facilitated the transportation of double-stacked Purina products from Hams Hall Distribution Park in North Warwickshire to Tesco's Thurrock distribution center. The successful development of the container over two years represents a significant step towards a more sustainable approach to distribution.
Niall McCarthy, Rail Development and Delivery Manager at Nestlé UK and Ireland emphasized the importance of the trial: “This trial marks an important development in Nestlé’s commitment to halve its emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. This initial trial will help launch stronger supply chain resilience and reduce carbon emissions in the Nestlé UK and Ireland network.”
The advanced rail container features a revolutionary roof-raising mechanism that allows products to be double-stacked from floor to ceiling inside the container. This design maximizes capacity before the roof is lowered for transit, enabling the transportation of up to double the amount of products compared to conventional container types.
Nestlé's approach aligns with the Rail Delivery Group's findings, emphasizing the environmental benefits of rail freight. Each freight train has the potential to remove up to 76 heavy goods vehicles from the roads, and rail journeys produce 76% fewer emissions per tonne of products compared to diesel road journeys.
