Mars UK reports new US$477mn sustainable logistics operation

In a landmark project between Mars UK and DHL, the two organisations have entered into a US$467.8mn sustainable logistics multi-year partnership. AS part of the partnership two ‘state of the art’ warehousing facilities and development of a ‘world class logistics operation’ will be built.

“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,” commented Tim Walker, Supply Chain Director at Mars UK.

The two new sites will be based in the Midlands and East London (representing an investment of US$467.8mn) and have been designed with sustainability at the forefront of the operations.

The two buildings to be known as ‘East Midlands Gateway’ and ‘London Thames Gateway’ will be operational in the spring of 2022 and 2023 respectively, and will be partially solar powered, rating in the top 1% of non-domestic buildings in the UK environmentally. The two sites have a combined square footage of more than one million feet and will utilise ‘state of the art’ high bay facilities with innovative automated pallet storage.

It is expected that the project will reduce Mars UK’s outbound logistics carbon footprint by 7.7%, and will remove a million miles a year from roads, which equates to 40 times around the world or 8,547 times round the M25, as well as increasing capacity by more than 50%. 

“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,” commented Jim Hartshorne, Managing Director, Retail & Consumer & Ireland, DHL Supply Chain.

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