Hellmann Worldwide Logistics announces Global Green Initiatives at SLDF 2012

Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, one of the world’s largest logistics providers and Sri Lanka Design Festival’s Official Logistics Partner for 2012, promotes Green Fashion Logistics through closer supply chain integration.

Business Development Manager for Hellmann Fashion Logistics Jil Hellmann Regouby, explained how the Fashion Industry is a pioneer in the field of sustainability and why logistics is so important in ‘greening’ the supply chain, she explained that there is a cost reason and a market reason for this change, “On the cost side, people are consuming more and are very price-sensitive that’s not going to change.” In addition, cost of production will keep rising due to price of oil which makes companies re-evaluate their transport networks and evaluate different energy sources. “If you look at a market angle, we do have a new set of consumers younger people who identify by social values, who want functional, reasonably priced products and they also want it to be green…this will probably lead to additional labelling; we have price, nutritional values, but we will also see a carbon foot print label this is going to happen in the very near future.,” she added.

Regouby named some examples of up- and downstream integration along the supply chain. An increasing number of consumers and fashion brands are concerned about what happens to garments after they have been sold. 80% of fashion ends up in land fill seven though it could still be worn or recycled. To mitigate this problem, Hellmann is partnering with the company I:CO (I Collect) who works with fashion brands on facilitating  clothe-returns in exchange of a discount. I:COmanages the re-use, re-wear and re-cycle process to extend a garment’s useful life as long as possible; with technological advances, even up-cycling of used garments into new ones has become possible which truly closes the loop for fashion.

An example of upstream integration is consulting fashion manufacturers on how to reduce their carbon footprint through optimised packaging, transport route optimisation and recommending options for renewable energy. For example, Hellmann uses a box made 75% from recycled material and saves transport cost by reducing weight and volume of goods.

Hellmann Regouby concluded that logistics makes up about 5.5% of global emissions and therefore, if you really want to decarbonise your supply chain effectively, you have to look at the system as a whole and work with all actors together.”

Managing Director of Hellmann Worldwide Logistics in Sri Lanka, Tania Polonnowita said, “This second annual partnership with SLDF has been a great success for both Hellmann and the event. We not only invited a group of global professionals to enrich the festival, but also contributed to a great extent by sharing our experience in going green all over the world we hope to pioneer this in Sri Lanka and we feel SLDF, marked a great beginning for that.”

Hellmann Sri Lanka is a joint venture of Hemas Holdings PLC and Hellmann worldwide. Hellmann offers tailor-made solutions that answer to the needs of customers around the world. As a leading international provider of integrated logistics solutions, Hellmann is considered a vital link between industries and trade throughout the world.

SLDF was founded by Sri Lanka’s international design campus AOD (www.aod.lk) and was supported by the Ministry of Economic Development, the Export Development Board and JAAF as the key stakeholders, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau as tourism partner, SriLankan Airlines as official Airline, Mount Lavinia Hotel as official host, MAS as the main sponsor of Sri Lanka fashion and apparel awards, Trade Card as official software partner, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics as official freight and fashion logistics, Textured Jersey as official fabric partner, Coats Thread as official thread partner, MTV/MBC- Electronic Media Partners and Print Care as official Printer. British council, The Norwegian Embassy and Goethe Institute also supported SLDF as Knowledge partner, the cultural partner and International Program partner while WGSN, Just Style and Textile Institute/Textiles magazine promoted the festival internationally as the international media partners. Social Media was the official social media partner and Cheryl Gooneratne was the official hair and makeup partner for the festival.