Imperial Logistics wins at Green Supply Chain Awards

Imperial Logistics' operating company, TFD Network Africa, won the category for the best project over R10 million at the fourth annual Green Supply Chain Awards in Johannesburg. The awards are a joint initiative of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport: South Africa (CILTSA), the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa (CGCSA) and Supply Chain Today magazine.

14 Sep 2012

TFD Network Africa receiving the prize (L-R): Adam Kelly, Carlos Masha, Adele Henn, Anish Nana, Justin Kerslake

Its winning project was an initiative dubbed 'Driving the Green Movement', which addresses four key areas: energy efficiency, water management, waste management and carbon emission reduction.

Friedel Spies, customer services director, elaborates, "This has a comprehensive approach to undertaking sustainability initiatives. In the area of waste management, it includes Eco Bins and recycling, while water management initiatives include water-wise depot wash bays and waterless urinals at our operations."

More than R123 000 has been raised through recycling of pallet cardboard and plastic. This has been invested in community projects such as Jabulani Khakibos Kids, a shelter for street children. Through its waste management initiatives, it was able to fund its own purchasing of Eco Bins for its head office, as well as a local primary school.

The company's IT department has also completed a comprehensive energy-saving project that included reducing its number of servers, which translates into a dramatically reduced power requirement, which in turn reduces cooling costs in the data centre.

"Fewer servers means less networking gear and a smaller number of racks needed, all of which translates into less data centre floor space required, which in turn means less power cost for equipment and cooling," Spies states.

Carbon emission reduction forms an integral part of greening the supply chain and it has launched a programme that will see all drivers receive certification in economical driving skills designed to reduce carbon emissions.

"Our programme has been running for more than 18 months now, with a major milestone having been reached in terms of reinvesting savings from waste management activities into community projects. Sustainability manager Adele Henn, together with a dedicated team of 'Sustainability Champions' that we have created, drives this comprehensive sustainability programme. We are committed to ensuring that it remains a daily focus in the business," Spies concludes.