Sustainability is a hot topic as of late. Open any mainstream news website and it won’t take you long to find content focused on anything from limiting pollution to reducing waste plastic.

As haulage plays a crucial part in a vast number of industries from waste collection to food delivery, it stands to reason that it also has a big part to play in developing sustainability across the board.

Let’s take a look at the various elements of haulage which have an impact on the sustainability of our planet as well as methods they are adopting to lower their impact.

Skip collection and recycling

Skip collection is a huge element of haulage which has an impact on global sustainability. Skips account for a massive amount of landfill and, commonly, large amounts of recyclable material are found in an average skip.

Of course, if those using the skip are not separating recyclable waste from landfill, it is difficult for anything to be done. Those that lease skips should also be taking responsibility for promoting the separation of recyclable and non-recyclable materials.

Skip collection also contributes pollution through fuel consumption. This can be limited by the purchase of fuel-efficient hook loaders or hook loaders which have been refurbished to increase their usable life, like those sold by MHF.

Pollution

The various modes of transportation that make up the haulage industry such as road vehicles, ships and planes produce a large percentage of global pollution via the burning of fossil fuels.

The haulage industry has a big part to play in the reduction of emissions. There is already a voluntary scheme available for businesses to join such as the Logistics Emissions Reduction Scheme, which allows businesses to publicly publish their contributions toward lowering emissions in the logistics space.

Future technology

To reduce the waste and pollution currently prolific in the haulage industries, there are several approaches which can be taken moving into the future. The first and most simple is the promotion of positive behaviours like recycling and developing more efficient processes to lower waste.

New technologies also have a role to play. We are already seeing this in efficient fuel technologies, which produce comparatively less pollution. We are also seeing developments in electric vehicles such as Tesla Semi and other smart ways to lower fossil fuel consumption throughout the entire supply chain.

Sustainability is of paramount importance in the haulage industry. As government guidelines on sustainability become more ambitious, we are likely to see increasing pressure from the government for businesses in the space to reduce their impact.

Ben Hurdman, sales and logistics manager, MHF UK

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