Four smart ways Fagan & Whalley is supporting green logistics

Sam Fagan from Fagan & Whalley shares insights into how the logistics and warehousing specialists are ensuring they stay ahead of the game when it comes to promoting sustainability and green logistics.

In a world where climate change is no longer a distant threat but a present reality, the general public is becoming increasingly aware of environmental concerns. And rightly so.  Recognising this shift, at Fagan & Whalley, we are committed to supporting green logistics and contributing to a green supply chain for you and your operations.

But green logistics isn’t merely about complying with regulations or ticking boxes. For us, the environment isn’t simply a backdrop for our operations - it’s a shared resource that we are all responsible for protecting. 

With that said, let’s take a look as we explore the top five ways we’ve committed to supporting sustainable logistics…

1. Green logistics: Our first electrical commercial vehicle 

Firstly, this month, at the forefront of our efforts, we’re excited to share that we have ordered our first electric commercial vehicle. This is a big step for us towards making our operations greener and is just the beginning for us. We’re expecting to add this vehicle to our fleet in May, so we’ll be sharing more details with you soon. Keep your eyes peeled!

2. Green logistics: Optimised routing to reduce empty-running

Secondly, we’re proud to use optimised routing to support sustainable logistics and reduce the environmental impact of our daily operations. 

What is optimised routing, and how does it support sustainable logistics?

Optimised routing refers to the process of finding the most efficient and cost-effective route between any two points. However, as you can imagine, when the number of touchpoints increases on a delivery route, the number of potential routes to take increases exponentially. If routing isn’t optimised, logistics companies may find themselves travelling much further than needed, wasting fuel and increasing their negative impact on the environment.

How have we adopted this practice?

At Fagan & Whalley, we have been using advanced routing software to ensure that whenever we’re out on the road, we’re taking the most optimal routes possible. This has transformed how we operate and ensured that whenever our wheels turn, you can guarantee there’s a good reason for it. We’ve dramatically reduced the number of empty runs carried out and are proud to have significantly lowered our carbon emissions through doing this. 

3. Green logistics: Lithium-ion MHE

Furthermore, the adoption of Lithium-ion MHE from Linde Material Handling at our Frontier Park and Burnley Bridge warehouses marked a pivotal step in our sustainability journey. 

What are the Linde forklift trucks?

Linde Material Handling forklift trucks are specialised equipment designed with our planet in mind. Powered by lithium-ion batteries, these forklift trucks outperform the previous forklifts we had used in multiple areas. Not only are they smaller, and therefore much more flexible with enhanced maneuvring capabilities - but they are much more efficient, too. While the previous models demanded two hours of daily charging, these forklifts utilise a highly energy-efficient ‘flash-charging’ system that helps slash our carbon footprint. 

How has this equipment helped support a green supply chain?

As of November 2023, we were pleased to have achieved an incredible 33.75 per cent decrease in our CO2 emissions at our Burnley Bridge warehouse since using the new forklifts. Meanwhile, Frontier Park saw an impressive reduction of over 34.92 per cent of CO2 in the first 12 months of their utilisation.

In total - this is an astonishing 11,930 kg of CO2 saved from the atmosphere. That’s the equivalent of removing a car that would have covered 53,888 miles from the UK’s roads. Or, in other words - the equivalent of a car that had driven around the earth’s circumference - twice!

4. Green logistics: Investing in fuel-efficient vehicles

Finally, aside from our new electric vehicle, we also continuously and regularly invest in our regular fleet to ensure it is as sustainable as possible. Last year, our incorporation of the Scania Super Powertrain saw us introduce Scania’s most fuel-efficient range into our fleet. It not only exceeded our previous performance standards but also reduced our diesel consumption by 15 per cent. 

How does the Scania Super Powertrain support a greener supply chain?

The vehicles come with several benefits to our sustainability efforts…

• 30% longer lifespan than previous models
• Fewer maintenance checks required
• Engines are compatible with renewable fuels (HVO)
• 15% reduction in diesel consumption compared to de-fleeted models

As you can see, this aligns with our overall goals of enhancing and increasing our support of sustainability in logistics, prolonging vehicle lifespan and reducing the need for frequent vehicle replacements. By choosing vehicles that are compatible with renewable fuels, we are also paving the way for drastically lower CO2 emissions in the future, too. 

Fagan & Whalley: Supporting a greener supply chain

These are just a handful of the ways we are prioritising our shift towards a greener supply chain, but we are committed to reducing our impact on the environment as much as possible. As key players within the logistics industry, we are well aware that our line of work comes with inherent environmental challenges - which is why we make our sustainability efforts a priority.

Our responsibility goes beyond our immediate operations and extends to our long-term investments and visions for the future. We look forward to revealing our future goals, plans and commitments with you as they unfold.

If you’re looking for a greener logistics solution and are committed to taking your sustainability efforts seriously, we’d love to speak with you. For more information on our transport, warehousing and logistics solutions - please contact us on 01282 771983.