Primark rolls out more eco-friendly transport options in the UK

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Sep 1, 2020

Primark UK’s logistics operations are getting greener with the introduction of a brand-new fleet of delivery trailers and gas-powered trucks.

The transport innovations will drive down the retailer’s carbon emissions, reduce the number of journeys annually and enable quieter urban deliveries.

15 Longer Semi Trailers (LSTs) will be introduced this week to carry large volumes of stock to Primark depots across the UK. Each LST can carry twice as much as the company’s existing trailers, meaning 1,600 fewer journeys annually. This will help save about 680 tonnes of CO2 emissions, Primark said.

To further reduce the environmental impact of its logistics operations, the company will roll out 10 new Iveco tractor units which will be fuelled by liquified natural gas (LNG), a more environmentally-friendly and cost-effective alternative to traditional diesel fuel. Gas-powered trucks typically release 15% fewer CO2 emissions than diesel-powered trucks, and the Iveco tractor units deliver a 60% reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions to the environment.  

Ian Hicks, head of transport at Primark, said: “We have been working hard for many years to reduce the environmental impact of our logistics operations and we are delighted to take this next step in boosting the sustainability of our transport model. These new trailers have double the capacity of standard trailers and will significantly reduce our transport emissions in the UK. We are proud to bring these new additions into our transport fleet, to help make a more positive impact on the environment.”

Primark has been using LNG trucks in Spain since 2016, and similar double decker trailers have been rolled out across the Northern European logistics operations in collaboration with Dutch logistics partners.