Bidvest International Logistics recognises the impact our activities and services can have on the health and safety of the public and the environment. The management of environmental risks is an integral part of our business operations. We value and prioritize ethical and sustainable practices, which include those focused on the management of environmental performance and compliance with relevant legislation. We are committed to the highest health and environmental standards at all times in each of our operations.

The Waste Management Policy in all of our warehouses

Our Warehouse Divison adheres to a strict Waste Management Policy. Each facility participates in an onsite waste management and recycling project where recyclable materials are separated at source to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. We partner with a reputable waste management specialist on a national scale to ensure that we increase the reuse and renewal of waste and provide safer treatment and disposal options to all waste generated.

We fit all our warehouses with energy-saving lights to reduce energy usage and have also initiated a project to assess whether solar panels could be placed on our warehouse roofs to create solar-powered energy. Utilizing our comprehensive warehousing footprint in this way could further reduce our reliance on the national grid by using more sustainable energy sources.

Road freight initiatives

Road transport can be a high contributor to harmful emissions. BIL mitigates the impact of these emissions by ensuring that we operate a newer, younger fleet of vehicles, with our average vehicle age under 3 years. This ensures that the latest fuel efficiency technology is incorporated into our fleet to reduce energy wastage and limit harmful emissions.

Our Road Freight Division has also initiated a strong paperless drive through our customized Sign-On-Glass solution for POD management, limiting the generation of unnecessary paper usage.

Our most direct initiative to reduce CO2 emissions is monitoring our fuel consumption and implementing systems to reduce overall consumption per vehicle.

Further initiatives from our Road Freight Division to limit negative environmental impacts include:

• Drivers are incentivised for not idling excessively, this is closely monitored
• Green band driving – speed, harsh braking and driver behaviour are monitored daily. Drivers are incentivised if they achieve in excess of 90%
• Vehicle designed to achieve the highest legal payload possible to ensure fewer trips.

International logistics and partnerships

For our ocean freight operations, we partner with various global ocean freight carriers to move containers from and to almost anywhere in the world. One of our core carriers, CMA CGM, has committed to being Carbon Neutral by 2050. This is a significant gesture considering the impact of large container ships moving across the oceans on a daily basis, including the fact that maritime shipping accounts for 4% of global carbon emissions. This carrier has also commissioned newbuild LNG-powered mega-vessels with a capacity of 22,000 TEUs, and by 2023 will have 10% alternative fuels used in their energy supplies. In our opinion, few carriers have placed as much emphasis on their commitment to environmental goals as CMA CGM, making them an ideal partner as one of our core carriers.

Another key consideration as far as the environmental impact of shipping is concerned, are the far-reaching effects of sulphur regulations as introduced by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). BIL only partners with reputable ocean freight carriers complying with these regulations, which will significantly reduce the negative environmental impact of ocean freight as a whole.

Other general processes and policies

Other general aspects of the BIL environmental impact processes include a formalized Clean Air Policy adopted at all our sites and strong consideration of our suppliers’ environmental processes as part of our Procurement Policy. BIL is proud to be making positive strides towards reducing our carbon footprint and as a team wants to be more conscious of the impact of our daily activities on the environment. We will continue to seek solutions and initiatives that will have a positive effect on the public and protect our planet.