How Mars wants to save 1 million miles a year in product transport

Mars UK announced the opening of a new warehouse in the country’s capital after an investment of £350 million (€409.6M/$445.1M) in partnership with transport carrier DHL.

The new London Thames Gateway facility boasts 3,700 solar panels, which cover 27% of the site’s power usage, and high-frequency equipment charging, reducing energy usage by 30%.  

The plant also features rainwater harvesting and has automated pallet storage and retrieval (ASRS) technology in place.

The company says this new facility will contribute to an annual CO2 reduction of 7.7% across Mars UK’s logistics network, saving a million miles from roads annually.

“From Whiskas and Pedigree to Celebrations and Ben’s Original, Mars UK transports over 1.2 million pallets of its products every year – which, if you stack those pallets on top of each other, is the equivalent of shipping the height of Mount Everest every other day,” the manufacturer states.

Back in May, Mars opened The East Midlands Gateway facility. According to the manufacturer, the combined space will increase Mars UK’s warehousing capacity by over 50%.