Most sustainable logistics building in Belgium
There is ever-increasing pressure on logistics: everything has to be faster and more sustainable. The distribution centre is an important link in the transition to sustainable operations. Investing in this will help prepare your company for a future of increasing consumer demand for sustainability.
A study published during Paris Retail Week showed that 70% of customers include sustainability as an important factor in their purchasing decisions. Closer to home, the research report Retail in 2030 also shows that 50% of consumers consider corporate social responsibility an important element in the brand experience.
Our society is becoming more transparent by the day, and consumers have a better understanding of our consumer society; they are demanding—ever more strongly—that companies consciously and openly embrace corporate social responsibility.
ALDI is an example for many companies to invest in sustainability. Besides Encon's involvement in the installation of solar panels and various scans related to CO2 neutrality, ALDI was also inspired by a visit to Infinity (insert link to infinity article). They subsequently called in Encon in 2017 during the build of their logistics hub in Turnhout.
Encon was involved from the very outset in going for a BREEAM certification, an independent international certification system that measures the sustainability of buildings. Sustainability certification of buildings ensures the readiness of your building for the future and the increasingly stringent environmental legislation, without having to incur unnecessary costs afterwards to comply with the requirements imposed.
BREEAM takes a very broad approach to sustainability, from the use of materials to employee welfare. This led to ALDI implementing numerous measures in the areas of people and the environment, integrating 90 parameters. The building, spanning no less than 8 football pitches, invested in more than 4,000 solar panels as a result of Encon's analysis and support, with the output of 1 kilowatt-hour being the equivalent of 285 families' annual consumption. The cooling system operates using environmentally friendly and ozone-friendly CO2, and the area has been equipped with a vast green zone with local plants and a bee hotel.
With the expertise of Encon at hand, this logistics hub was awarded a BREEAM Outstanding certificate.
This is the highest possible rating and very few companies can boast such an exceptionally high score. That makes this discount shop a prime example of responsible entrepreneurship. It was not without reason that they were titled the most sustainable industrial building in Belgium and won the award for 'Logistics Building of the Year 2019'.
This logistics innovation has made ALDI a reference in our portfolio that goes the extra mile, not only towards a better world but also towards growth. This is done by creating a pleasant work environment for employees, but also by guaranteeing job security in the region by meeting the continuous growth of the company.
There are countless innovative possibilities for logistics companies to implement without having to build a brand-new building. By working on the sustainable logistics of the future one step at a time, we can already make a difference today. Would you like to know how you can make a difference?
