FULL-SPEED LOGISTICS... BUT A PLANET FALLING BEHIND?

These trends have benefited foreign trade globally and have allowed our country great opportunities for economic growth. However, environmental pollution and the environmental degradation have been aggravated by these social changes. Throughout this article, we will be explaining why the logistics sector contributes to environmental pollution and the actions that are being taken to prevent it.

Logistics is a very broad industry, and when we talk about its impact on the environment and the search for solutions to green the sector we are not only talking about its various means of transportation, this search for change also encompasses the warehousing industry and the packaging of goods. While we know that the sector is critical to the functioning of the economy, it is also a major contributor to climate change.

How does it impact climate change?

Transportation is considered the largest consumer of petroleum products, as well as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

Among the main contributors to climate change are air pollution, water pollution, noise, destruction of the ozone layer, among others. Maritime transport has even been the cause of several environmental catastrophes, due to oil tankers that have sunk and left damage to the oceans and coasts.

Road transportis estimated to account for approximately 18% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Each ton of cargo transported by truck emits between 62 and 150 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer.

According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) in the United States, it is estimated that more than 30% of urban solid waste is related to logistics packaging.

The garbage generated by shipping packaging and its waste is a major trigger in climate change. Oceana estimates show that, during 2021 in Mexico City, e-commerce produced 86 thousand tons of plastic waste, which is equivalent to 29 garbage trucks full of plastic per day. This caused the government to spend more than 53 million pesos to manage the plastic waste generated by e-commerce.

Electricity consumption in distribution centers for lighting and refrigeration systems can consume between 50 and 200 kWh per square meter per year, on average, low consumption in a distribution center is equivalent to the consumption of 167 homes, while a warehouse with high electricity consumption can represent the consumption of more than 600 homes.

Measures being implemented

This process of ecological transformation in logistics seeks to replace fossil fuels with renewable energies to reduce the impact of pollution.

The updating or modernization of certain equipment in distribution centers and warehouses has made it possible to reduce their energy consumption, good management and process automation have even enabled the company to reduce electricity costs.

In terms of packaging, the company opts for recycled options.  Most of its plastic bags and boxes are made from recycled materials. However, something that the companies are still working on is to produce packaging that is the size of the merchandise, this will generate savings even in the number of trips, since, as the shipments are the size of the merchandise, they take up less space that can be used for more packages.

The government has implemented new regulations that regulate plastic pollution, imposing economic fines on those companies that do not comply with the law. One example is the reform of the “Ley de Residuos Sólidos”, which prohibits the use of certain single-use plastics, including cutlery, in home delivery services.

The transportation sector in logistics is the most alarming, companies have joined efforts to renew the fleet gradually to hybrid or electric vehicles that generate less carbon dioxide emissions. As mentioned above, renewable energy vehicles (ships, trucks, trains) are underdevelopment.

Sustainability has become an essential component of the entire logistics chain, including sea pots, land ports and airports. Planning, from an environmental point of view, is one of the main objectives of companies today that seeks to add to green logistics.