Step 4: How do we pack and transport our products?
At Solo Cup Europe we are continually working to rationalise all cartons sizes to enable us to use fewer pallets and thus make less deliveries.
Over the past 12 months we have continued to grow the business which has resulted in a 24.18% increase in pallets despatched, however, we have managed to limit the environmental impact this significant volume increase has had on the loads we despatched to only a 6.5% increase in lorries on the road.
This was achieved by improving the way we planned the loads and the type of vehicles we use. In real terms we have increased the average number of pallets per load from 19.3 to 22.5.
We have also entered into discussions with a number of key accounts regarding the reverse logistics opportunities that exist (back hauling on their empty vehicles). Our drive is to minimise our consumption of fuel.
The majority of the cartons we source contain 100% recycled materials and they are 100% recyclable. Carton sizes are designed to minimise their footprint while still offering food product protection during transit.