Green logistics or “green supply chain ” has become a major concern in the field of transport and distribution . Faced with growing environmental and social challenges, many companies are turning to more sustainable practices to reduce their ecological footprint and stand out from the competition.
Defining green logistics
Green logistics, also known as sustainable logistics or eco-logistics, aims to integrate environmentally-friendly practices into all stages of the logistics process, from production to transportation to distribution. Its aim is to minimize environmental impact while optimizing operational efficiency.
Read on to find out more!
The principles of green logistics
Green logistics is based on several key principles aimed at reducing carbon footprints in order to combat climate change:
- Transport optimization Green logistics encourages the use of less polluting modes of transport, such as rail or waterways, rather than road. It also encourages the grouping of shipments to reduce the number of vehicles on the road, thereby minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Efficient inventory management Rigorous inventory management reduces surplus and losses, thus avoiding wastage of resources. Containers and trucks can also be filled to minimize empty space.
- Minimizing travel: Green logistics also encourages the use of local products to reduce distances traveled and transport-related emissions.
- Use of green technologies The integration of green technologies such as electric vehicles, solar panels and energy management systems helps reduce energy consumption and pollutant emissions.
The benefits of green logistics
In addition to its environmental benefits, green logistics offers numerous economic and social advantages for companies:
- Cost optimization Green logistics offers long-term financial savings through theoptimization of resources and processes. Reducing transport, storage and waste management costs can have a positive impact on company profitability.
- Competitive advantages Competitive advantages: Companies that implement green logistics practices can stand out from their competitors by offering more environmentally-friendly solutions, which can attract new customers and partners.
- Innovation By seeking more sustainable solutions, green logistics fosters technological innovation and encourages the development of new green technologies.
- Collaboration and partnerships: Green logistics often requires close collaboration between supply chain players, such as suppliers, carriers, distributors and customers. Strong partnerships and information sharing are essential to optimize goods flows, reduce empty miles and promote sustainable practices at every stage of the chain.
- Brand image and social responsibility Adopting green logistics practices enables companies to strengthen their brand image by demonstrating their commitment to environmental sustainability. Consumers are increasingly sensitive to these issues, and are more likely to support environmentally-friendly companies.
Green logistics with Connected Objects
The use of connected objects aims to reduce the environmental impact of information and communication technologies (ICT). In the context of green logistics, the use of vehicle fleet management and real-time tracking solutions helps reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, and optimize delivery routes.
These fleet management solutions combine technologies such as GPS, sensors, Internet connectivity and management software. They collect real-time data on vehicles, their location, speed, fuel consumption and other relevant parameters.
With this information, companies can optimize delivery routes, reduce journey times and avoid traffic jams, thereby contributing to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. What's more, they can also monitor vehicle fuel consumption, identify inefficient practices and implement measures to encourage more fuel-efficient driving.
In addition to managing vehicle fleets, the use of connected objects can also be applied to other aspects of logistics, such as warehouse energy management,optimizing storage systems and reducing the energy consumption of IT equipment.
For example, the use of virtual servers or cloud computing can reduce the number of physical servers required, resulting in lower energy consumption and associated CO2 emissions. Similarly, the use of energy management solutions can monitor and control energy consumption in warehouses, optimizing lighting, heating, ventilation and other systems.
Green logistics is an essential approach to a sustainable future. By integrating environmentally-friendly practices into all stages of the logistics process, companies can reduce their impact on the environment, make financial savings and improve their brand image. Green logistics is a win-win solution for companies and for the preservation of our planet.
At AXSENS bte we support you in responding to your issues related to logistics, the implementation of a responsible approach, the choice of connected tools, etc.
