Get into any discussion about the environment and green measures and sooner or later up pops the subject of transport. Whether it’s the ever increasing numbers of cars on the roads or the seemingly ever-growing size and quantity of lorries; road transport in general tends to have a bad press when it comes to eco issues.
We are really pleased therefore to be reporting on a transport company which is actively taking steps to move freight off the roads and onto rail. Based in Scotland, the Russell Group has over the past forty years built up an international reputation, providing transport solutions for some of the world’s strongest brands. The Group’s ethos is simple; to provide the highest levels of customer service allied to hard work and attention to detail and it is this which the Group says ensures “that Russell is always first choice providing unprecedented levels of customer retention.”
The Russell Group actively seeks to move road freight onto rail and its latest project working with Highland Spring has resulted in a reduction of over 28,500 tonnes of Co2 per annum. Highland Spring are themselves constantly on the look-out for ways to improve their green credentials. The Highland Spring brand has the distinction of being the first British bottled water to be awarded organic status for its catchment area by the soil association and the company makes every effort to use recyclable packaging.
In October 2012 Highland Spring launched a new partnership with the Woodland Trust which aims to help the Trust to achieve its aim to double the UK’s native woodland cover by 2050. With such an underlying green ethos it was not surprising that the company sought to reduce its carbon footprint. The solution proposed by the Russell Group was to use rail transport from Coatbridge to the Crick Rail Depot in Northampton, a one way road journey of 320 miles. In the process the solution has removed 16 lorries from the road network and saved a massive 2,611,200 road miles per year.
Whilst this project is ongoing, with the Russell Group and Highland Spring working on ways to further reduce road mileage, the savings so far have been impressive. The Russell Group have “invested substantial amounts of time and money in rail freight over the years in order to facilitate the move to rail” and this is clearly paying dividends for themselves and their customers. They are therefore worthy winners of a Green apple Award.
For more details about the Russell Group please visit their website http://www.johngrussell.co.uk/