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Sustainability

Largest solar rooftop installation in Germany

On the roof of our 235,000 sqm logistics centre in Marl, Germany's largest rooftop solar power plant was put into operation. With 43,000 photovoltaic modules and a capacity of 18 MWp, this plant sets new standards for the expansion of renewable energies on commercial properties. The photovoltaic system generates enough clean electricity to cover METRO LOGISTICS' own needs at the site and feed surplus energy into the grid. In addition, the entire building complex has already been awarded the Gold Certificate of the German Sustainable Building Council (Deutsche Gesellschaft für nachhaltiges Bauen, DGNB).

Sustainable warehouse infrastructure

Energy-efficient LED lighting is installed at all our warehouse locations, while motion sensors in the aisles achieve additional savings potential. The multi-customer warehouse in Marl obtains heat transfer fluid from the neighbouring EVONIK site in order to cool the temperature-controlled warehouse sections. This removed the need to install refrigeration technology that uses ammonia as a coolant. We also draw on solar power to operate the heating systems at the Altlandsberg and Reichenbach sites.

Our contibution to greater sustainability

We adhere to sustainable business workflows here at METRO LOGISTICS, as our actions today create a better world for tomorrow. We see ourselves as a part of society, ensuring a healthy balance between economic, ecological and social targets. That’s why we invest in sustainable infrastructure, develop efficient and green workflows, only use green electricity and have our own modern fleet. By doing so at METRO LOGISTICS, we reduce our ecological footprint and contribute to long-term value preservation.

Efficient processes for more sustainable logistics

We have operated according to our proprietary system of procurement logistics since 1995. This involves collecting the goods for METRO and external customers from the individual manufacturers and then bundling the consignments. It’s cost-efficient, fast and protects the environment, as this model of procurement logistics brings commercial success and guarantees a positive ecological footprint. This is built on almost fully loaded trucks and radically reduced turnaround times at the individual unloading points.

Bundling of returnable transport systems

Maximum bundling and smart processes are the keys to more sustainable logistics. In addition to high-density deliveries based on procurement logistics, our system also includes the bundling of returnable transport systems: This means that the truck delivering the products also retrieves the empty transport systems and brings them back to the warehouse. Arriving at the warehouse locations, we inspect and group the various transport systems for collection by the system user and continued circulation.

Efficient system of fish logistics in Gross-Gerau

We have built a platform for the same-day handling of fresh fish in Gross-Gerau, right next door to Frankfurt Airport. Our efficient system of fish logistics has shortened the supply chain for fresh fish by 1.5 days, significantly increasing the availability of fresh fish at METRO stores. What’s more, three-zone cooling at our other food locations ensures optimised shelf lives for fresh fruit and vegetables.

Own fleet of modern trucks

Our company-owned fleet comprising more than 100 towing units largely includes vehicles belonging to EURO VI – the strictest pollutant class – and natural gas semi-trailers. Our climate-friendly gas trucks operating throughout Germany reduce the carbon footprint by around 25 per cent, compared to a conventional diesel truck. Not only that, these trucks emit 90 per cent fewer pollutants such as nitrogen oxide or particulate matter than the permitted amount under the Euro 6 emission standard. On average, the METRO LOGISTICS trucks are only around four years old. Completing over 60,000 trips per year, our drivers travel approximately 12 million kilometres with the fleet of company trucks.