Netherfield educational resources supplier Findel has upgraded the fleet of forklift trucks at its distribution centre as part of its ongoing commitment to becoming net zero by 2040.
The company is now using lithium-ion (LI)-powered counterbalance forklift trucks at its distribution facility in Netherfield. The latest upgrades mean that Findel’s 27-strong vehicle fleet at the centre is fully electric.
Switching to LI power for the forklift trucks removes the need to use gas and diesel, helping to reduce carbon emissions.
Upgrading its forklift trucks is part of Findel’s wider environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy to deliver ‘meaningful change’.
As part of its Better Planet pillar, Findel’s ESG strategy focuses on the business’s performance and commitments across 10 core areas, including a reduction in carbon emissions.
The upgraded trucks also support Findel’s ongoing sustainability commitment to becoming net zero by 2040, which is 10 years ahead of the Paris Agreement goals.
These goals include becoming net zero by 2050, to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C.
In addition to lowering carbon emissions, Findel’s LI fleet enables additional operational efficiencies. These include the ability to run extended shifts, convenient charging, and the removal of the need to hire additional trucks and lead-acid batteries during peak periods.
Findel’s origins as an educational resources supplier can be traced back to 1817. Today, its brands and websites offer more than 32,000 products to educators and parents based in the UK and overseas, with the business exporting to 130 countries.
Commenting on the new fleet, Findel’s ESG manager, Chris Leonard, said: “At Findel, our business is all about growing education for generations, and it has never been more important than now to do so responsibly.
“Thinking sustainably is at the heart of everything we do. This includes all touchpoints of our business, ranging from the products that we sell through to our distribution and logistics operations.
“The upgraded range of LI-powered counterbalance trucks, alongside the wider vehicle fleet at our Netherfield distribution centre, is a key part of this as we look to continually reduce our carbon footprint.”
Jungheinrich UK, one of the world’s leading providers of intralogistics solutions, has supplied the truck fleet to Findel.
