In recent decades, under-considered transport solutions have unfortunately made a significant contribution to climate change and to the drastic deterioration of the state of the environment. Now, in the 21st century companies should be responsible for reducing their carbon footprint. One of the tools is the environmentally conscious delivery of goods. We’ll take a look at the options and help you choose the right one.
>> Something else you can do for the environment – learn the importance of size-optimized packaging. <<
Road and rail transport
Transport of goods by road: About 70% of (domestic) freight transport happens by road worldwide. The average carbon dioxide emissions of a fossil-fuelled lorry with an internal combustion engine is 0,1693 kg per ton-mile. This is a high number, therefore, cannot be classified as a sustainable alternative. It is important to note that delays due to traffic jams can increase this already high number even further. The use of electric vehicles for the transport of goods seems to be an obvious solution for which there is a growing interest from companies.
Rail freight transport: the average CO2 emissions of a freight train is 0,1048 kg per ton-mile, so it offers a more sustainable option to road transport. In addition, with regard to fuel and energy use it is four times more efficient as the aforementioned mode of transport. However, strong noise pollution is also a disadvantage in case of this mode of transport. The share of rail in global freight transport is around 15-20%.
Maritime and air transport
Transport of goods by sea: it has the lowest average carbon dioxide emission, which is 0,0403 kg per ton-miles but at the same time, there are other pollutants, greenhouse gases, the existence of which must also be taken into account. Although we are talking about one of the most cost-effective modes of transport, due to long transit time some companies often find it less attractive.
Air freight transport: 0,8063 kg of carbon dioxide per ton-mile, so air transport is not the most environmentally friendly way to deliver goods from A to B. For shorter distances, road or maritime transport may prove to be a better choice.
Multimodal logistics in focus
The combination of different transport options is often not only a more sustainable but also a more efficient alternative. There is no need to deal with multiple transshipment and complex administration, since the goods are in the same transport unit (e.g. containers, lorries, trailers). The backbone of multimodal (Combined) solutions is rail transport and shipping.
The aim is primarily to reduce road transport distances and to replace air transport with heavy environmental loads. It is no coincidence that the European Union called it its mission that by 2030, 30% of road freight transport of more than 300 kilometres need to be done by rail and/or shipping. However, the problem is that 90% of the domestic trailers and semi-trailers are not suitable for cranage. The French Lohr system offers a good solution for this. It is a railway wagon with a special design and a convertible interior.
The future of green, environmentally conscious logistics is clearly the development of combined transportation and the exploitation of its potentials. Combining different transport sectors can increase energy efficiency while making sustainability feasible.
As a packaging company, it is also important for us to support sustainable development – get to know our environmentally conscious products!
Do you have any questions? Contact Strapa-pack!
