Green Logistics is a logistics management process that focuses on reducing the environmental impact caused by various activities related to logistics, such as moving, collecting, storing, and distributing goods. Today, this issue is an important issue that many organizations are seriously driving.
7-Eleven is a convenience store that we are all familiar with and has been with Thai people for a long time, allowing us to go shopping for delicious food and a variety of products 24 hours a day. But did you know that behind the scenes of this convenience store, they are not only committed to providing service? They have also been seriously working on the environment for a long time through the 7 Go Green policy since 2007.
Transportation systems are the heart of convenience stores to ensure that products are always ready for customers. However, all of these systems require energy to operate, and the 7-Eleven team is aware of this and takes this issue very seriously.
Over the years, they have adapted, developed and innovated many ways to make their transportation and distribution system less emitting greenhouse gases while maintaining high efficiency. This is a very challenging task because 7-Eleven has branches all over the country.
The Practical invites you to follow the path of the Green Logistics system that has enabled every product on the shelves of 7-Eleven stores today to be delivered using a system that emits fewer greenhouse gases. Mr. Kampee Metta, Assistant Managing Director of Provincial Distribution Center Operations, CP All Public Company Limited, will be the one to tell us about environmental friendliness, starting from the distribution center to the destination in a 7-Eleven store near everyone’s home.
The sustainability behind
When talking about the environmental friendliness of 7-Eleven stores, it is believed that most consumers will think of campaigns and campaigns that are clearly visible such as reducing the use of single-use plastic bags or switching to environmentally friendly packaging. However, there is another part of the operation, which, although it is behind the scenes work, has an equally positive impact on the environment, which is the ‘green transportation system’.
“We have more than 10,000 branches, all of which receive products from distribution centers that are spread across the country. So the first challenge is how to transport and distribute products efficiently, but at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions from driving.”
“The next challenge is managing a large distribution center. To store different types of products, we need a lot of energy, so the energy we choose must be the type that produces the least greenhouse gases.”
Increase the size of the vehicle to reduce the distance.
Mr. Khampee said that every day, 7-Eleven has approximately 3,000 delivery trucks nationwide, making nearly 8,000 trips from each distribution center to local stores each day. Therefore, it is not surprising that we often see delivery trucks on the road.
“Transporting goods requires agility because some stores are in small alleys, while some stores are on the main road, but there is very little space to park and unload goods. If you choose to use a regular four-wheel pickup truck, there will be a limitation on the amount that can be carried. In the end, the answer was the innovative four-wheel jumbo truck, which can carry up to thirty percent more goods than before.”
Mr. Khampee said that when 7-Eleven uses vehicles that are the right size for the job, the number of vehicles needed and the number of trips needed per day are reduced, which of course results in lower greenhouse gas emissions from this process.
“We have also developed an operating system called Territory Planner to determine the best route for us, allowing us to do shorter distances in less time. Previously, it might have taken hundreds of kilometers, but with Territory Planner, the new calculated route will be five to twenty percent shorter, reducing the number of cars on the road, resulting in reduced carbon dioxide emissions and pollution.”
Green buildings that make the world green
Each 7-Eleven distribution center needs to be large because, as mentioned above, there are more than ten thousand branches, not to mention the wide variety of products offered to consumers to meet the lifestyles of Thai people.
“When building a distribution center, we pay great attention to the building itself, so that the systems inside support efficient storage and distribution, while also using less energy and emitting less greenhouse gases. This has to be planned from the beginning with the designer, the contractor, and many other teams.”
Seven-Eleven’s distribution center is built under Green Building standards, which take into account energy saving, preservation and development of surrounding areas, water conservation, selection of environmentally friendly materials, and consideration of the comfort of building occupants.
“Although the building of the distribution center is already a green building, after our team discussed it, we agreed that it could be further developed to be environmentally friendly. Due to its large size, each distribution center has a large amount of roof space, totaling around 200,000 square meters nationwide. Our team is using this large area to their advantage by installing solar panels to generate electricity.”
Solar power is one of the cleanest, renewable sources of energy with lower greenhouse gas emissions. Today, all of 7-Eleven’s distribution centers use 80 to 90 percent of their total energy consumption from rooftop solar panels.
“Another small component that I see as a game changer is the smart LED light bulb that detects human movement and turns itself on and off automatically. This little part also saves a lot of energy,” Khun Kampee enthusiastically explains.
Convenience stores of the world and people
As the team behind the green delivery system that allows all consumers to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Khun Kampee said that they are very proud and happy because consumer goods are something that people have to eat and use every day. When retailers and convenience stores deliver products through processes that emit less greenhouse gases, it is like a puzzle for consumers who buy products to help create a change towards sustainability.
Last year, the 7-Eleven team helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 6,600 tons of carbon dioxide.
“To put it in perspective, that’s the equivalent of planting 150,000 trees a year. But we’re not going to stop innovating. For this year’s goal, we want to reduce our emissions by more than 7,000 tons of carbon dioxide, and our team is determined to reach bigger sustainability goals each year, for our consumers and for our planet.”
We adapt, the world changes. The Next Generation: Green Logistics, carbon-reducing transportation.
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