Mars UK and DHL announce green partnership to cut carbon footprint by 7.7%

Mars UK claims its outbound logistics carbon footprint in the UK will be reduced by 7.7% after the construction of two state-of-the-art warehousing facilities and the creation of a world class logistics operation at its UK base in Slough, in the south of England.

The announcement of a multi-year partnership with logistics leader DHL represents an investment of £350m ($476m), designed with sustainability at front of mind. The buildings themselves will be partially solar powered and rated in the top 1% of non-domestic buildings in UK environmentally. 

Mount Everest  

Mars UK transports over 1.2 million pallets of its products every year – equivalent of shipping the height of Mount Everest every other day. The new logistics operation will remove a million miles a year from roads.

Tim Walker, Supply Chain Director at Mars UK, said: “Our partnership with DHL will deliver a world class logistics operation that is sustainable, smart and agile. What is good for our business is also good for the planet. This project is a meaningful step in our sustainability journey as we look to create the world we want tomorrow – which we know starts with how we do business today​.”

The two purpose-built depots, ‘East Midlands Gateway’ and ‘London Thames Gateway’, will be operational in the spring of 2022 and 2023 respectively. The sites will have a combined square footage of over a million feet and they will both have state of the art high bay facilities, which include innovative automated pallet storage. 

Jim Hartshorne, Managing Director, Retail & Consumer & Ireland, DHL Supply Chain, said: “We’re delighted to be extending our global partnership with Mars in the construction and management of these sites. Our shared environmental commitments are supported by this investment and we are creating long term, exciting jobs in both of these communities. This project will be the foundation of the UK logistics chain for Mars for many years to come and we are incredibly proud to be selected to lead in this project​.”