Environment & Sustainability
What are the UN Sustainable Development Goals and why are they important?
Unipart Logistics sustainable development plan is based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with the priorities of combating climate change, protecting the environment and providing opportunities for our colleagues
How Unipart are embracing the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Visit UN Sustainable Development Goals for more information Visit Our Responsible Business page
29% energy reduction from our buildings by installing smart LED lighting in to our largest warehouses Cowley
and Nuneaton, which are both lux and motion sensor
26% reduction in CO2 emissions from our buildings – Installation of Smart metering Smart LED lighting,
biomass boilers at Canley & Cowley
15% Water reduction by installing water saving technologies such as sensor and push taps and
low flush toilets
192 tonnes of single use plastic removed from our supply chain
Including removing over 400,000 plastic cups, 37,500 plastic bottles and 10,000 single use cutlery from our canteens and vending operations. UL provided all our colleagues with reusable plastic water bottles
12 tonnes of shrink wrap was removed from one of our premium Automotive customers, 12 tonnes
of shrink wrap was removed by introducing
a returnable Velcro strap to attach the products
to the pallets
Over 120 tonnes of single use plastic from our Sky contract which included the introduction of reusable engineers returns bags eliminating over 47 tonnes of plastic bags in this one item – Using best practice learning from the Sky contract we were able to implement plastic free initiatives across our business unit such as loadhog lids and paper tape
The link between The Unipart Way and corporate responsibility is clear. UL develops long term constructive relationships with key stakeholders in order to share values and work together for mutual advantage.
In removing waste from every aspect of the supply chain, UL conserves scarce environmental resources.
2019 Environmental Achievements
Working with the UN Sustainable Development Goals Unipart Logistics (UL) is committed to reducing its environmental impact and improving the sustainability of all operations, we are passionate about making a lasting difference to the communities in which we operate.
Unipart Environment Goals & Objectives for the future
Awards
Unipart Logistics won The British Safety Council Globe of Honour for the 7th consecutive year and was one of only 9 companies globally to achieve this prestigious award for outstanding environmental management.
We have also been certified by BSI to ISO 14001:2015 for
over 15 years
Climate Change is the defining issue of our time and we are at a defining moment. From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. Without drastic action today, adapting to these impacts in the future will be more difficult and costly. Unipart Logistics have been monitoring and measuring our carbon emissions for some years and have started to take action to tackle climate change by reducing our carbon emissions across our warehouses.
2020
Carbon Neutral by
50%
Reducing Carbon
Measure & calculate
carbon footprint
Externally verify
carbon footprint
Stage 1
Stage 2
Set science based targets in line with UK Gov Targets & 1.5 deg warming
Install carbon reduction and renewable energy technologies to reduce footprint
Stage 3
Offset any remaining
carbon emmisons that
you cannot remove
Communicate
Carbon Nuetrality
Project Carbon - Climate Change & Carbon Reduction Plan
Working with the Carbon Trust, we will implement a long term plan to reduce our emissions and become carbon neutral by 2030 through implementing carbon reduction and mitigation technologies reducing our carbon emissions by over 50% on 2019 baseline and then offsetting any carbon that we cannot reduce at this point by planting trees to absorb the CO2 creating carbon sinks. This will be a three stage approach to develop a robust carbon reduction strategy
Project Carbon commitments:
Set Science based targets -
Align targets to climate science and a 1.5Deg C pathway
Warehouse of the future -
Increase the use of digital technology to reduce our energy consumption and continue with the installation of energy efficiency technology into our warehouses such as LED lighting
Commit to use 100% renewable sourced energy and increase investment on onsite renewable energy such as solar and biomass
Improve the efficiency of out our transportation fleet
Working with our suppliers to become more sustainable supply chains reducing CO2 emissions at each stage of the supply chain
EV charging points installed at our warehouses enabling our staff to travel to and from
work helping to reduce local and global air pollution and climate change
Planting native trees to absorb the carbon we cannot cut currently this will not only act as a carbon sink but also increase local biodiversity and wildlife helping to protect life on land
Educating and enabling all our colleagues to get involved and make a difference
at work and home
Waste & Recycling
Reduce waste produced -
UL is committed to achieving 3% waste reduction year on year through increased
reuse of packaging products and reducing packaging. One of our premium Automotive customers have embraced this way of working and has installed a cushion pack machine which allows them to shred waste cardboard and turn it in to void fill material to protect the outgoing products. This idea enabled the contract to not only eliminate single use plastic bubble wrap but also reduce the volume of waste on site. This is been shared as best practice and our Waterstones site in Burton is now trialling this method to reduce waste, plastic and cost on site.
Recycle 97% of our waste -
Using the principles of the waste hierarchy UL has reduced and reused as much of our waste where possible. Through colleagues education and engagement campaigns UL ensures that all waste on our sites are segregated into the correct waste streams to ensure that they can be recycled. In 2019 we recycled 97% (11,000 tonnes) of all waste produced. UL also practices the waste proximity principal where we sent our waste as local as possible to its generation for recycling. UL does not export waste for recycling to developing countries.
Zero waste sent to landfill -
We have achieved zero waste to landfill across all sites since 2016. In 2019 we recycled 97% of our waste the remaining 3% fuelling Energy to Waste Plant which generates electricity to power local district heating in Coventry City Council.
Planting native trees to absorb the carbon we cannot cut currently this will not only act as a carbon sink but also increase local biodiversity and wildlife helping to protect life on land
Reduction in Single Use Plastic
Unipart Logistics Launched Project Coast in May 2018 where we committed to eliminating targeted single use plastics that UL generate and pass down our supply chain by end of 2020. We continue to work with our clients and suppliers to eliminate single use plastic throughout our whole supply chain and challenge our suppliers for more innovative and sustainable packaging solutions which reduce impact on the environment throughout the whole lifecycle.
and see how we
can help you!