Brakes achieves energy standard

Work to reduce environmental impact pays dividends for foodservice wholesaler

Brakes’ work to reduce its energy usage has been recognised with the award of the ISO50001 Energy Management Standard.

The foodservice wholesaler got the accreditation for hitting a series of performance standards and continuing to put plans in place to further minimise the impact it has on the environment in the future.

One of the main focuses Brakes took to achieve the standard was to invest in its transport infrastructure, with more than half of its delivery vehicles now meeting the latest EURO 6 requirements for engine emissions. The company also introduced route-planning software that has made efficiencies across the business, reducing mileage and fuel usage.

Brakes already uses GTL fuel, which has less than 50% nitrous oxide emissions, from deliveries out of its Park Royal depot, while all staff are trained on how to reduce energy wastage.

“In recent years, Brakes has tried to set a positive example for the foodservice industry with initiatives, such as our 2Zero20 campaign to eliminate hard black plastics, as well as being the first foodservice wholesaler to sign up for Wrap’s UK Plastics Pact and joining the Wrap/IGD initiative to reduce waste across the industry,” said Director of Engineering and Environment Ian Hunt.

“The award of ISO50001 follows a huge amount of work in understanding and eliminating unnecessary energy usage.”

More plans are in the pipeline to make further improvements, with projects to use alternative energy at depots and to upgrade facilities to make significant CO2 savings.

“We’ve written the opening of our environmental story,” adds Hunt. “With initiatives like 2Zero20, zero waste to landfill since 2016 and industry-leading recycling rates of 81%, but we’re already busy working on the next chapters, which is what the continuous improvement under ISO50001 is all about.”

The ISO50001 Energy Management Standard is a further example of Brakes’ commitment to the world around them, with the business’s holiday hunger charity continuing to go from strength to strength.

Brakes energy Energy Management Standard Foodservice green ISO50001