WDP News Digest - July 2019
A new month… a new WDP Digest! The first drone deliveries and blockchain containers are now more than just dreams. More and more companies are taking the ethical high road by optimising their logistics processes and making these more sustainable. And Belgian businesses are opting for solar at sea. Click on an article for more details.
#1 UPS setting up drone courier company
As soon as their application for a Part 135 certification is approved, logistics service provider UPS hopes that its sister company UPS Flight Forward will carry out commercial drone flights out of the field of view of drivers. And it wants to do so both during the day and at night. A first in the world of logistics! More info about the setting up of the first drone courier company UPS Flight Forward is available at upinthesky.nl.
#2 Belgian companies build offshore solar parks
Tractebel, Jan De Nul, DEME, Soltech, and Ghent University have joined hands to develop offshore solar parks. This is because offshore solar parks save on space. Drifting solar panels already exist, but these must be resistant to the saltwater and high waves of the North Sea. Belgian companies have budgeted 1.9 million euro for this challenge. More info about solar panels on the North Sea can be found at tijd.be.
#3 Omoda packages less air
The Omoda shoe sales chain knows that smart packaging is better for the wallet and the environment. A packaging machine was recently installed at the Zierikzee distribution centre that glues the top onto the shipping carton at the same height as the shoe box inside. This results in 46% less packaged air, smaller packages, and more space in lorries, which leads to reducing CO2 emissions by 130.6 tons annually. Take a peek at the new Omoda’s air-saving packaging machine at logistiekprofs.nl.
#4 Amazon shipping more packages itself
E-commerce giant Amazon is increasingly reducing its use of shipping services, such as UPS and FedEx. The company has created an impressive logistics infrastructure in recent years with more than 390 distribution centres, 50 aircraft, 300 lorries, and 20,000 delivery vehicles around the globe. In so doing, Amazon now ships 48% of its packages itself. In contrast, Market research firm Rakuten Intelligence indicated that it was only 15% at the beginning of 2017. You can read why Amazon is happy to ship half of its packages itself at logistiekprofs.nl.
#5 First blockchain container shipped to Rotterdam
The first container without bills of laden shipped via Rotterdam and arrived at Tilburg at the beginning of July announced the Rotterdam municipal port authority. Yet that Samsung SDS container was financed and traceable on its journey thanks to the blockchain platform DELIVER. ABN AMRO, the Port of Rotterdam, and Samsung SDS hope to prove that blockchain technology is trustworthy and secure. You can read the complete news release about the first blockchain container in the Port of Rotterdam at portofrotterdam.com.
