Rhenus rises to challenge of net zero with new Nuneaton Campus

Rhenus Warehousing Solutions UK has set itself the target of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2045. As a leading provider of sustainable warehousing, fulfilment and returns processing to both online and high-street retailers, Rhenus believes in the need to be ambitious in its sustainable goals to support the wider retail industry in meeting theirs.

In addition, the demands of fashion consumers – who are increasingly invested in conscious consumption – and the growing climate crisis, mean that the need to act now is both a business and a moral imperative.

A major milestone in the Rhenus Group journey to net zero is the creation of its ’Rhenus Campus’ in Nuneaton – its greenest facility to date, which will complement its existing four UK warehouses at Magna Park in Lutterworth, Leicestershire.

No detail has been overlooked in creating the giant Campus, which comprises two warehouses totalling 1 million square feet – that’s the equivalent of 36 football pitches. The first warehouse will come on stream later this year with the second due for completion in early 2023.

While cutting edge technology and sustainable practice are key to the Rhenus operating model, the development of Nuneaton has placed people at its centre, a clear demonstration of the business’s ‘human-centric’ approach to delivering its services.

The Nuneaton development will be certified BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) Outstanding upon completion and it will fully adhere to the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) net zero operational carbon framework, following on-site generation from solar panels and air source heat pumps as well as a car park fitted with electric car charging points.

But it’s not just the well-being of people that has been taken into consideration at Nuneaton, the site will also support local wildlife with a variety of trees planted at its boundaries to provide foraging, species-rich grasslands, a dedicated wildflower meadow and a pond surrounded by native shrubs, all of which will create a high-quality environment and improve biodiversity by attracting birds, pollinating insects and mammals.

Furthermore, Rhenus is ensuring that no materials from the construction are wasted by using them to further support local wildlife, such as recycling felled trees and making them into shelters to accommodate a wide range of species local to the area, including customised bird boxes suitable for blue tits, wrens, and sparrows. Recycled wood will also be used to make bat boxes, which will be regularly checked by a licensed bat ecologist, and insect houses, which will host invertebrates and butterflies.

All of these initiatives will have a near-term positive impact on the Rhenus Group’s carbon footprint and while the goal is to be net zero by 2045, by 2030 its direct emissions will be reduced by 60%.

Retailers can benefit from these initiatives when it comes to calculating their own emissions and communicating these to their consumers and other key stakeholders. And it is just one of the many ways that Rhenus seeks to support its partner retailers.

Rhenus believes in going further than offering a simple ’paid-for service’ and seeks to offer a true partnership with each client to support their warehousing, systemic pick and pack, B2B and B2C order fulfilment, value-added services and returns requirements.

Rhenus always aims to go beyond the role of a service provider and become an integral part of each of its customers’ supply chains. And with the Nuneaton development, retailers can rest assured that this part of their supply chain will be as sustainable as it can be.

For more information about Rhenus UK, please visit https://www.rhenus.group/uk or call 01455 200700 / email [email protected]

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To read how Rhenus is helping fashion brands stay ‘on trend’ in a time of constant evolution, click here.