Sainsbury’s is introducing a fleet of electric-powered trucks in a bid to cut down its CO2 emissions. The supermarket giant is planning to replace 20% of its home delivery vehicles by 2008, and its entire fleet by 2010.
Built by the Newcastle based Tanfield Group, a milk float manufacturer founded in 1920, the converted Ford Transit vans cost around £35,000, have a top speed of 50 mph and a range of up to 150 miles on one nightly battery charge.
Simon Skeet, Sainsbury’s online operations manager said: “Our fleet will start small, but the long term plans mean that all our delivery vans operating in high areas of delivery density will be battery powered in the very near future.”
The UK’s third biggest supermarket will also be pushing their green initiative in store this Friday (27th April) by only giving out re-useable carrier bags.
The carriers, which usually cost customers 10p, will be given away free as part of ‘Green Bag Friday’. Last year the Supermarket saw a 25% increase in shoppers reusing their carrier bags, and 1,000 tonnes of bags were collected from their in store recycling points.
The Bag For Life is stronger and bigger than the standard carrier bag and is also made from 100% recycled material. What’s more, once it gets worn out you can replace it at Sainsbury’s – for free, for live – hence the clever name.
Check here for Sainsbury’s green pages
