The agreement will see Zeus handle over a third of Diageo’s UK bottle to recycling plant distributions.
Under this new trial, Zeus will initially handle 50 trucks per week fuelled by HVO across 14 major UK transport routes, with plans to expand operations into Europe in early 2024.
Zeus projects that this will save Diageo approximately 1,800,000 kg of CO2 emissions each year, the equivalent to the amount of carbon sequestered by 2,147 acres of US forests in a single year. Diageo owns a portfolio of more than 200 brands that are sold in 180 countries around the world.
HVO fuel is a fossil-free and renewable alternative to traditional fuels and can deliver up to a 90% reduction in carbon equivalent emissions compared to traditional diesel. In the past year, Zeus has seen 400% growth in demand for its freight solutions, slashing greenhouse gas emissions for FMCG companies by more than 80%.
Diageo and Zeus 'share values'
Philip Byrne, procurement category specialist for GB Logistics at Diageo, said that it was obvious on first meeting with the team at Zeus that the two companies were aligned in terms of their “values”.
Byrne continued: “2030 is quickly approaching, so Zeus’s focus on sustainability and diversity was a massive selling point. Their scalability partnered with their flexibility has been a great addition to our business and we are looking forward to what the future of our partnership has in store.”
Meanwhile, Sam McGuirk, chief commercial officer at Zeus, added: “Diageo is a renowned global leader in the alcoholic beverages sector and being selected as a logistics partner in the UK demonstrates our capacity to serve high-profile clients and establish robust, reliable and long-lasting relationships with our customers.
“Zeus is dedicated to delivering environmentally responsible solutions and advocating for investments in alternative fuels to address the ongoing climate crisis, and our partnership with Diageo reinforces our shared allegiance to a greener future.”
In other news, McCain Foods has been fined after a worker lost two fingers.