Third-party logistics provider Rhenus Warehousing Solutions UK offers its futuristic, market-leading sustainable warehouses to the FMCG sector
The FMCG sector is constantly evolving due to changes in consumer behaviour with the move to buying goods online being one of the biggest influences on the sector in recent years. With sustainability an increasing priority among consumers, retailers and brands are looking to more environmentally friendly logistics solutions as part of their supply chain.
‘A’ Energy Rating and BREEAM Outstanding
The ‘Rhenus Campus’ has an energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of A – the most efficient energy efficiency rating. The super airtight insulated building envelope reduces heating requirements and translucent panels above the dock areas increase natural light in marshalling areas. There is motion activated LED lighting throughout and the toilets operate with low flush volume and low water usage spray technology.
Totalling one million square feet of warehousing, on a 64-acre site, the ‘Rhenus Campus’ is certified “BREEAM Outstanding”. It achieves significant reductions in whole life carbon and is designed with reference to the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) Framework Definition for Net Zero Carbon Buildings, and is home to extensive green spaces, a pond, a wildflower grassland and a meadow. These sustainability initiatives, created across the Campus, have increased local biodiversity by over 130 percent.
Renewable energy will be generated on-site via solar panels and electric car charging points have been installed.
Last year, Rhenus Warehousing Solutions UK received the 2023 UKWA (United Kingdom Warehousing Association) Award for Excellence in Sustainability. The company was also one of three finalists in the CILT’s (Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport) 2023 Awards for Excellence in the Environmental Improvement category. Being recognised by the wider industry showcases how the company has successfully prioritised energy efficiency, carbon reduction and environmental initiatives.
All under one roof
Rhenus Warehousing Solutions UK provides not only storage but also fulfilment and returns management expertise. The scale of our warehouses ensure that growth will be supported, and operations can be scaled up to accommodate peak seasons.
Working with multiple well-known brands, Rhenus can offer a wide range of value-added services such as co-packing, labelling, promotional packs, display units, gift sets and advent calendars, enabling Rhenus to offer the benefit of keeping its customers’ requirements ‘all under one roof’ which can deliver lower costs and carbon footprint.
Closer to you and your customers
Rhenus Warehousing Solutions UK operates from warehouses at Magna Park in Lutterworth, Leicestershire, and from two brand-new sustainable facilities in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, known as the ‘Rhenus Campus.’ With Lutterworth and Nuneaton both situated in the heart of the ‘Golden Logistics Triangle’, a prime location nearby the M1, M69, M6 and M42, meaning we are within a four-hour drive of 90 percent of the UK population. This allows for later order cut-off times, potentially being closer to you and your customers, and can reduce the environmental impact associated with transportation.
High pallet volume
The large-scale facilities at the ‘Rhenus Campus’ provide up to 185,000 pallet storage locations in a cost and space efficient racking configuration. Combined with a total of 134 dock doors, which enable a very high throughput volume.
Monitoring the warehouse environment
Many aspects of the warehouse environment, including air quality, are measured using the very latest in digital sensor suite technology and can be reported at customer level. As companies plan to achieve a carbon-zero supply chain by 2050, Rhenus Warehousing Solutions UK is perfectly positioned to help customers document their own roadmap to deliver this.
Strategic partnerships
Rhenus has key strategic partnerships with a wide network of transport providers and with many of the major retailers, as well as third-party marketplace companies, which will be of benefit to any FMCG brands that operate within the UK market.
Timber framed office
The ‘Rhenus Campus’ truly demonstrates its ethos of sustainability by the way in which the building materials have been procured to ensure they deliver environmental, social and human value. The three-storey office element of the development is constructed entirely from timber, making it one of the largest timber framed buildings constructed in the UK during 2023.
It is also one of the first times that a timber frame has been used in a logistics setting within the UK as the carbon savings, sustainability and wellbeing features were prioritised by Rhenus throughout the design process.
The building consists of a Glued-Laminated Timber (Glulam) structural frame supported by Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) walls, floors and roof. It is of particular interest to note, that the CLT timber floors of the offices deliver 64 percent lower embodied carbon than a standard floor.
Harry Wheelhouse, Business Development & Marketing Director at Rhenus Warehousing Solutions UK, said: “Our state-of-the-art ‘Rhenus Campus’ provides us with a market-leading facility to support FMCG businesses that are looking for capacity to grow and a more sustainable warehousing partner.
“This brand-new facility will reach the highest level of sustainability in warehousing, creating a site that is environmentally diverse which can potentially support customers with their own sustainability and carbon-reduction goals, putting Rhenus at the forefront of sustainable logistics.”
For more information on Rhenus Warehousing Solutions UK and to find out how the logistics specialist can help your business, please email warehousing.enquiries@uk.rhenus.com or visit https://www.rhenus.group/uk.
About Rhenus Warehousing Solutions
Rhenus is one of the pioneers in warehouse logistics and forms a comprehensive global network with more than 180 locations in 23 countries and 4.0 million square metres of warehouse space. Specialised in numerous industries, Rhenus customers benefit from tailor-made warehousing solutions and fulfilment services. At multi-user locations and for dedicated and in-house solutions, the focus is on innovation, sustainability and continuous process optimisation.
