Bepco Tackles Environmental Challenges Head-On with Transformational Change

13 November 2019
Warehouse
Environment

Hartlebury, UK – Bepco UK has taken major steps forward to retain its position as an industry leader in the wholesale supply of agricultural parts and accessories, while drastically reducing the environmental impact of its commercial operations.

Earlier this year, Bepco and TVH announced plans to create a collaborative commercial facility in Kidderminster, Worcestershire to better serve their UK and Ireland customer base. The new 12,000 sq. m. warehouse is forecast to hold more than 80,000 SKUs with the capacity to expand to 17,000 sq. m. It is expected to become operational from January 2020.

Meanwhile, the market leading agricultural parts and accessories supplier has made giant leaps in reducing the environmental impact of its commercial activities. Approximately 36 tonnes of cardboard and eight tonnes of 98.2 plastic wrap is now recycled every quarter. Wooden pallets are broken up and offered as firewood to staff, along with the local Severn Valley Railway for firing the steam engines to run the classic trains. Any remaining wood is dispatched to the recycling centre located only 200 yards away from Bepco’s Hartlebury warehouse. One hundred percent biodegradable plastic is now used when packing customers’ orders and recyclable paper tape is due to be rolled out in 2020 following successful trials in quarter four of this year.

John Percy (Managing Director - Bepco UK) comments, “Due to the nature of the industry that we serve, our products can often be both bulky and heavy. As a result, it’s very challenging to minimise our carbon footprint however I am incredibly proud of the steps we’ve taken to improve Bepco’s efficiency and reduce our overall environmental impact. The results we’ve already achieved are very encouraging, and we’re looking forward to improving upon them in 2020 and ahead.”

The new warehouse, despite still being in the construction phase, already boasts a number of eco-friendly benefits compared to the existing UK sites currently in operation. One square kilometre of vegetation surrounding the premises has been cleared to make way for a dedicated conservation area to support the growth of wild flowers and sustain local wildlife. Moving inside, a state of the art, motion sensitive LED lighting system has been installed to reduce energy consumption by up to 42 percent.

TVH and Bepco worked side-by-side to find a suitable site for their new, shared facility. They even plotted the home address locations of their workforce to narrow down their search in an effort to minimise the work commute for its staff. Martin Packer (Warehouse Manager – Bepco UK) comments, “We are proud that our new premises are within walking or cycling distance for more than 80 percent of our current employees. With an expected workforce of more than 150 personnel when the office and warehouse becomes fully operational, this means less cars on the road, less pollution and healthier staff – a great outcome all round.”

For more info contact:

Bepco UK Limited

Bepco House, Unit 316, Hartlebury Trading Estate, Hartlebury, Worcestershire, DY10 4JB, UK

P +44 (0)1299 252 200