Nestlé cereal manufacture joins EV ranks

The Volvo FM Battery Electric will be based at CPUK’s factory in Staverton, Wiltshire and will be used to transport CPUK’s full portfolio to its distribution centre in Melksham, with the primary focus on delivering the Shredded Wheat and Shreddies brands.

The business has also invested in a 160kW DC electric vehicle charger at its distribution centre, allowing the e-truck to be recharged in just two hours. 

This investment forms part of CPUK’s target to reduce its emissions by 20% by 2025, which it says it’s set to achieve this year, ahead of schedule.

“As we continue to evolve our operations to be more sustainable, the purchase of our first electric truck marks a notable landmark in our aim our commitment of being net zero by 2050. We have been early adopters of electric vehicles and continue to invest significantly in the technology. The investment in the vehicle and charging point will enable us to start to deliver our much-loved brands to our customers in a way that has a reduced impact on the environment,”​ said Patryk Zmaczyński, head of supply chain & procurement at CPUK.

The Nestlé cereal maker has several stages of transformation within its net zero roadmap, which alongside EVs includes the implementation of LED lighting across its warehouses. This has so far resulted in a 23% reduction in energy usage vs 2021.

CPUK is also exploring options for intermodal transportation for imported goods following the implementation of short sea solutions, and improvements in vehicle capacity utilisation. More broadly, the business has also started to focus on how it sources its ingredients. In 2022, CPUK launched the Nestlé Wheat Plan – a sustainable farming initiative that forms partnerships with British wheat farmers to support the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices. 

These sustainability commitments from the distributor are also in line with Nestle’s own environmental targets of halving its emissions in the next six years and achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

In the last year, Nestlé UK and Ireland has also launched bio LNG trucks and begun trials on products being moved by rail containers and electric shunters.