World Environment Day #BeatAirPollution

The haulage sector is one of the largest causes of greenhouse gas emissions. Kinaxia is a logistics company committed to reducing any adverse effects of these environmental impacts.

According to the World Environment Day website, the five main causes of air pollution are household, industry, transport, agriculture, waste and other natural sources. These sources produce a range of substances that can be harmful to human health. The physical and psychological effects of air pollution depend on the type of pollution we are exposed to.

As stated in our Earth Day news post the haulage sector is one of the largest causes of greenhouse gas emissions (13% overall). However, Kinaxia is a logistics company committed to reducing any adverse effects of these environmental impacts.

Kinaxia Logistics' Environmental policy

Kinaxia implements Environmental initiatives throughout the group in line with their policies, to reduce environmental impacts; continually. At Kinaxia in all activities, we apply the Best Available Technique Not Entailing Excessive Cost (BATNEEC). This is a regulation in the EU that has been established for the management of industrial air pollution since 1984. Furthermore, we plan and design more efficiently to reduce the emission of waste.

We strive towards a reduction in the use of energy supplies, sourcing possible alternative environmentally efficient power supplies that are economical and suitable. This includes using timber from sustainably managed forests to give the best performance with minimal environmental impact.

Monitoring and reviewing progress are key to our regulations in aspiring for a much greener company. This is usually done on an annual basis with continuous improvement of environmental performance in mind. Our subsidiary company, Mark Thompson Transport has been awarded as ‘Gold Certified’ by Masternaut. This means they have reduced their Co2 emissions by over 5% in 2018. Additionally, communicating our environmental commitment to clients, customers and the public is integral to our support of this cause.

Kinaxia has many more regulations within the company to strive for a reduction on negative effects upon the environment. Let’s explore into how the industry and the government also cover this with 2 of the largest impacts, transport, and wastage:

Transport

The global transport sector accounts for almost one-quarter of carbon dioxide emissions which are energy-related, a percentage that is rising. Reducing vehicle emissions is important in improving air quality, particularly in urban areas. For example, people who live closer to a high-capacity urban road are 12% more likely to be diagnosed with dementia.

Policies and standards that require the use of cleaner fuels and advanced vehicle emission standards can reduce emissions by 90% or more. In London, 2 million people are living with illegal air pollution due to the high levels of nitrogen oxide. Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, has moved the ‘cleanest’ buses to the highest polluted routes and introduced the ‘Ultra Low Emission Zone’ (ULEZ). This started on 8^th April 2019. This operates 24/7 within central London, the same as the Congestion Charge area in which vehicles over 3.5 tonnes must pay £100 per day to drive within it. Other cities in the UK have introduced clean air zones (CAZ). These include Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Derby, and Southampton. The government is implementing £220m into a new clean air fund, which will support businesses affected by councils’ plans to improve air quality.

Waste

Waste is another main cause of air pollution. This is because of the open burning. This releases harmful gases into the atmosphere in which 40% of waste is openly burnt.

In order to reduce this, improving the collection, separation and disposal can help to reduce the amount of waste that is burnt. Furthermore, separating organic waste and making use of this, such as compost or bioenergy improves soil fertility and an alternative energy source. Packaging measures are also coming into place in order to reduce plastic wastage. Michael Gove, UK Environment Security, announced a ban on the supply of plastic straws, drinks stirrers, and plastic-stemmed cotton buds in England. This will come into force in April 2020.

Conclusion

Every step in becoming more environmentally aware helps to save the planet. This is also for health reasons too. In applying and obeying to regulations, the logistics sector can help to reduce their high impact upon the environment. As Kinaxia continues to follow the Environment Statement and bring these environmental issues into light, we can move forward into a more environmentally-aware future.