An Overview Of Environmental Initiatives At Us Logistic Companies
Impacts of a corporation on the environment can be detrimental. United Parcel Service, Federal Express, and the United State Postal Service being the world’s largest package and mail suppliers make a tremendous impact on our environment. Although these companies consume a great deal of fuel and build large amounts of waste, they are all doing their allotment to be more environmentally friendly. This paper provides an overview of their efforts and was submitted by Stephanie Minnich for course credit at The University of Toledo.
1 United Parcel Service
UPS is one of the world’s largest consumers of fossil fuels is doing their part to be more environmentally friendly. UPS has 94,542 vehicles, 2909 facilities, and they are the 8th largest airline in the world. The company spends 2.1 billion dollars a year on fuel. Although, their spend of fossil fuels is there biggest pollution problem, they have not stopped there. UPS’s area’s of environmental interests include its ground fleet, air expeditiously, technology, energy consumption, green house gas emissions, recycling and source reduction, hazardous and non-hazardous wastes, water consumptions, environmental inspections, and incidental spills.
1.1 Ground Fleet
UPS being the world’s largest delivery fleet with 94, 542 ground vehicles, their fuel consumption is a big environmental impact. UPS has taken on two strategies to conserve fuel by replacing old vehicles with new low emission vehicles, and second to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. The 1930’s began the UPS’s race to better fuel efficiency when they came out with the first electric powered vehicle in New York City. UPS’s alternative-fuel fleet consists of natural gas, liquefied natural gas, propane, fuel cell, electric, hybrid-electric, and hydraulic hybrid electric. UPS has deployed around 1500 alternative-fuel vehicles and invested around $15 million dollars to deploy these vehicles. (Ground fleet).
Fuel Cell Vehicles: UPS’s first fuel cell vehicle hit the road in 2003 in Stuttgart, Germany. In 2004, two more were dispatched in California and Michigan with more advanced technology. Fuel cell vehicles work by converting energy into electricity without combustion creating a by product of only water vapor and heat.
Hybrid Electric Vehicles: The first test hybrid electric delivery vehicle was introduced in Alabama in the year 2000. During the testing of this vehicle, UPS also used the energy stored in the vehicle to power 80% of the local facility conveyor system and lights. Hybrid electric vehicles operate on batteries and electric drives motors which decrease the amount of fuel consumption and emissions. Fifty fresh hybrid electric vehicles have been bought by UPS and are expected to save 44,000 gallons of gasoline a year and decrease CO2 emissions by 457 metric tons.
Compressed Natural Gas Vehicles: UPS currently runs 707 compressed natural gas vehicles in various countries. These vehicles run at 95 percent lower particle emissions, 75 percent lower CO2 emissions, and 49 percent lower nitrogen oxide emissions.
Propane-Powered Vehicles: UPS operates propane powered vehicles in Canada and Mexico. The 588 propane vehicles release one third less reactive organic gases than standard vehicles and 60 percent less carbon monoxide.
Liquefied Natural Gas Tractors: UPS’s has 11 liquefied natural gas tractors that maneuver through the west waft delivering 31,000 packages to customers a day. Liquefied natural gas is a great alternative-fuel and has been very successful for tractor trailers going long distances daily.
Zero-Emissions Electric Vehicles: UPS operated three zero-emission electric vehicles and tested thirteen. These vehicles only had a range of 80 to 90 miles, so were primarily used to snort Next Day Air packages.
Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicle: After years of research, UPS, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Eaton Corp., and other companies released the first hydraulic hybrid delivery truck in 2006 (Ground Fleet).This vehicle is currently operating in Detroit, Michigan. This EPA patented technology will increase fuel efficiency by 70 percent and decrease carbon monoxide emissions by 40 percent. The hydraulic hybrid vehicle consists of a diesel engine and hydraulic power system to operate. This hydraulic hybrid vehicle eliminates the need for a transmission and driveline. This vehicle stores energy in the hydraulic system, which allows the vehicle to start. The prototype created, integrated these components:
High-pressure accumulator: this part stores the energy by using hydraulic fluid to compress nitrogen gas that was stored in this part.
Low-pressure reservoir: this allotment stores hydraulic fluid after it is stale by the pump.
Rear drive pump: this part converts high-pressure hydraulic fluid into power for the wheels and transfers the energy from the brakes back into the accumulator.
Engine pump: this portion transfers pressurized hydraulic fluid to the rear drive pump and the accumulator.
Hybrid controller: this part monitors the driver’s acceleration and braking and directs the system’s components.
Key Design Features
Regenerative Braking: This feature allows the hybrid controllers to expend the energy from the wheels by bringing fluid form the indecent pressure reservoir to the high pressure accumulator to allow the vehicle to use the stored energy to accelerate the vehicle. Seventy percent of wasted energy from breaking is now being reused. The ABS system on the vehicle can detect skidding and the drive pump automatically shuts off the hydraulic breaking and it returns to original breaking to control the vehicle.
Optimal Energy Control: Since there is no transmission and drive shaft connecting the engine to the wheels, this allows the engine to accomplish optimal fuel efficiency.
Shutting off of engine when it is not needed: this feature allows the engine to shut off during different periods of operation. This cuts off engine use by almost half.
There were two prototypes created to investigate different aspects of the hydraulic system. The first prototype focused on the highest fuel efficiency and one that could be manufactured in high volumes at the lowest cost. The second prototype was developed to test different drive train configurations and engines. The first prototype consisted of three hydraulic pumps in the rear axle, two front pumps that are pleasurable of regenerative breaking, an auxiliary hydraulic motor for further torque of 17 mph. There are two hydraulic accumulators for high pressure fluid and two for low pressure fluid. After being tested in the laboratory, conclusions showed that this configuration improved fuel efficiency by 70%, and reduced CO2 emissions by 40%. Prototype two was developed with a single pump and four-speed automatic shifted transmission with a comparable energy storage accumulator system. This model only detected improvement of fuel efficiency by 50%. (Hall).
1.2 Rolling Laboratory Approach
UPS has a rolling laboratory approach to learn how new technologies to build fuel essentially will perform in the real world. They are focus on determining whether these innovative technologies, such as the hydraulic hybrid, can be produced and used on a larger scale. (Hall) Since 2000, the rolling laboratory has collected 108 million miles driven on routes with these new innovative vehicles. (Eskew, Part I).
1.3 Technology
Maximizing fuel efficiency does not go just as far as discovering more fuel efficient vehicles. There is a lot of technology and efforts made in the hubs and centers directly were packages are sorted and loaded onto the trucks and the technology used for management of the ground fleet. (Technology).
1.4 Automotive Information Systems (AIS)
Automotive Maintenance System is software that notifies mechanics when a specific vehicle should undergo a preventative maintenance inspection. These are based off such things as miles driven, days of service, and engine type. This software maintains the inventory of the parts and estimating of the fuel usage.
1.5 Preventive Maintenance Inspections
Mechanics are notified through the Automotive Information System that the vehicle needs a Preventive Maintenance Inspection. These inspections are unique for each vehicle. Keeping up on the maintenance insures better fuel efficiency and low emissions on vehicles. This procedure is so effective other companies and government agencies have adopted our technology for themselves.
1.6 UPS Package Routing Technology
UPS delivers approximately 15.6 million packages and documents a day and optimization of delivery routes is a key point to fuel savings. The Package Routing Technology program determines the device UPS sorts and loads their packages into the delivery vehicle with software that plans the most effective route. The driver knows the entire day’s delivery route by address before he even leaves the building. The addresses are sorted according to areas, then loops, then down to routes so they destroy up on the correct vehicle. The most optimal route is loaded onto his DIAD board were he can see all the stops in order for the day. Package Inch technology has already saved 28.5 million miles off delivery routes, and reduced 100, 000 metric tons of CO2 emissions.
1.7 DIAD – UPS’s Hand-Held Computer
DIAD stands for Delivery Information Acquisition Device. The DIAD board is carried by drivers with the entire optimal route for the day already downloaded into its memory. These boards are also used to scan packages upon delivery. This allows the customer to track there package throughout the day to see if it has been delivered yet. These DIAD’s are also equipped with GPS systems that allow the driver to see if they have arrived at the right address. This allows for the driver to know that his is follow the route correctly and not wasting fuel. This allows the driver to drive the least amount of miles in a day. The detailed information entering these boards is transferred back to the software ragged for the Package Routing Technology to increase the accuracy and efficiency of the delivery routes. This increases the optimization and number of packages that can be delivered on a route.
Since UPS is constantly searching for new technologies to save fuel and reduce emissions, they have established their 2007 goal is to decrease gallons per package to 0.10008. In 2006 the fuel consumption increased 2.2%. The following chart shows the gallons per package from 2002 to 2006.
1.8 UPS’s Proposal for Technology Improvement
Continuing improvement in Package Pace Technology to come the geographical tools that help analyze and edit dispatch plans. UPS is was 77 percent implemented in April of 2007 and wants to be 100 percent implemented by the end of the year.
1.9 Air Fleet
UPS owns and operates the eighth largest airline in the world with B-727-100s, DC-8s, B-767s, and A300-600s all part of their fleet. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has many guidelines for noise and emission reduction regulations for UPS to meet. The air expeditiously meets all regulations by ICAO.
UPS’s goal for noise control is to increase their air fleet’s compliance to ICAO’s Stage IV regulation to 97 percent by 2007. The following graph shows the percent of the total air fleet that meets ICAO’s Stage IV Noise Guidelines up to 2006.
UPS’s 2007 goal for their air fleet’s emissions is to improve the emissions per payload capacity to 0.77. The payload is a measurement of the amount of emissions produced by the number of packages the fleet carries. The following graph shows the aircraft emissions per payload capacity.
1.10 UPS’s Strategies for Improvement
Continuous Descent Arrivals – With continuous descent arrivals, planes descend at a 3 degree idle power thus, making less noise, burning less fuel, and creating fewer emissions. The aircraft is not powered up until it is ten miles away from landing. This reduces emissions by 34%. Avionics manufacturer ACSS has developed software for the cockpit that allows the pilot to fly with continuous descent arrivals with a program called NextGen CDAs. CDA can be used in high volume airports because the pilot will follow another aircraft at a consistent interval.
Contraflow approaches and departures – at the UPS WorldportSM aircraft depart and arrive from the south. This reduces the noise by flying in and out on a less populated area.
Lido Flight Planning System – this program calculates the most efficient route between two points based on weather, wind, terrain, and other factors. UPS is the first US carrier to exhaust the program Lido.
Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) – this technology allows UPS to proactively manage aircraft departure queues saving fuel. This program is bustle on 107 of UPS’s aircrafts.
1.11 Energy
UPS currently operates 2,909 facilities across the world and consumes stationary and mobile energy. Sources of stationary energy are electricity, natural gas, propane, and heating oil. Sources of mobile energy are gasoline, diesel, Jet A, and compressed natural gas. The following graph is an overview of the mobile and stationary energy consumed by UPS from the year 2002 to 2006.
UPS’s energy increased in 2006 by 4% due to several reasons:
The growth in the online shipping has changed the delivery distribution by making it easier for residential people to ship from home. This adjusted the distribution from 80% commercial and 20% residential to 70% percent commercial and 30% residential.
Service improvements have required more fuel usage to better service customers.
Facility Programs to Decrease Energy Consumption
100 kilowatt solar power panels have been added to the Springs, California facility to provide 70% of their power to function the plant. This has produced 523,000 kilowatt hours of energy minimizing CO2 emissions by 1 million pounds.
UPS has put many California plants on the system of using biomass sources as their electric supply. Biomass is process of taking waste from landfill gas, human and animal waste, or agricultural demolish to be converted to energy.
Facilities are going through an energy efficient lighting upgrade program.
Facilities are introducing energy efficient motors and low friction belts for conveyor systems.
High-speed roll-up doors are being implemented so that heating and air conditioning loss is minimized when vehicles enter and exit the facilities.
Pressurized heating systems and dock door seals are being installed to keep the heat from inside building from escaping.
Motion sensors are being put into offices to reduce energy waste from lights.
1.12 Recycling and Source Reduction
In 2006, UPS produced 104,550 tons of solid ruin. Solid waste is paper, cardboard, and plastic that would generally be taken to a landfill. Only 38,600 tons were recycled. The reduction of solid ruin reduces methane that contributes to the greenhouse gas effects. The graph below is a breakdown of the products that UPS recycled in 2006.
1.13 Programs to Increase Recycling and Slit Waste
To help reduce the greenhouse gas effect, UPS is increasing its purchases of recycled materials. They purchased 36,300 tons of recycled materials in 2006 to serve this initiative.
UPS recycled 2.7 million pounds of electronic equipment from their facilities in 2006 and 19.7 million pounds since the beginning of this project to help reduce the toxic chemical wastes created by this equipment.
UPS is helping its customers recycle electronics through the Asset Recovery and Recycling Management Service. This program allows companies to give UPS the equipment for recycling or proper disposal.
All bags used to sort small packages purchased are reusable. UPS has purchased 5.42 million reusable bags, eliminating the need for 600 plastic bags per reusable bag. This has reduced 41,400 tons of plastic waste.
The packaging stale by UPS has been revamp to eliminate bleached paper and to use recycled materials.
UPS recycled 18,525 pound of batteries in 2006 with its participation with the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation.
60% of waste produced in the corporate offices is now being recycled.
Perilous and Non-hazardous Waste
Wastes created by UPS consist of antifreeze, used oil, spent solvents, spill residues, paint wastes, used filters, and leaking packages. Ninety percent of UPS’s wastes are non-hazardous leaving only 10% hazardous.
Hazardous
UPS produced 922 tons of unsafe waste in 2006. 845 tons was incinerated, 18 tons treated and land filled, and 59 tons recycled.
Non-hazardous
UPS either recycles or properly disposed of these materials. Used oil is typical recycled or used for energy. Antifreeze is typically recycled and little is properly disposed of. UPS works with tire vendors to retread tires and reuse them instead of polluting the environment.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
UPS’s long term goal is to reduce CO2 emissions produced by their operations. They measure there emissions per package. Due to an increase in the company’s ground and air volume, the CO2 emissions increased 6.6%. The graph below is defined in million metric tons of CO2 emission between mobile and stationary sources.
In efforts to reduce CO2 emission, UPS has purchased green power in California, and are continuing their efforts to make their products out of recycled materials instead of raw material. This will cleave CO2 by 2,367 metric tons. They are also continuing their efforts on testing solar, wind, and distributed power to use in the facilities.
1.14 Water Consumption and Conservation
UPS’s facilities, maintenance operations, and car washing operations go through 1.6 billion gallons of water each year. UPS holds 1,900 water accounts. The graph below shows UPS’s water consumption from 2002 to 2006.
Programs to Conserve Water and Prevent Pollution
Vehicle Washing Policy: Vehicles are now washed as they get dirty instead of being washed daily. This saves 365 million gallons of water yearly.
Water Reclamation Systems: these systems are used at UPS facilities so that the water can be captured and reused.
Vehicle Wash Agent: this is an agent conventional to wash vehicles so that the water is less polluted when being disposed. It is 100 percent biodegradable, and reduces the amount of water needed to wash the vehicles.
Accidental Spills
Most accidental spills at UPS are caused by accidents and damaged packages. Any spills that could affect the environment are reported to UPS Corporate Environmental Affairs. Although 15.6 million packages are delivered a day at UPS, they composed have a goal of zero spills a day. In 2006 there were only 33 reported spills, which is an 11 spill reduction from 2005. UPS sees that the best scheme to reduce spill is to sever auto accidents and prick the amount of packages that are improperly packaged. The graph below is a breakdown of what caused the 33 spills in 2006.
2 Fed Ex
2.1 Ongoing Aircraft Initiatives:
FedEx is participating with the U.S. EPA and FAA in studies of sources of air emissions in the aviation industry in efforts to reduce these emissions.
In 1990, FedEx developed a “hush kit” that reduces engine exhaust and noise levels on their aircrafts.
2.2 Ongoing Vehicle Initiatives:
FedEx participated in the CLEAN Speedy experimental program from 1992 to 1994. They tested alternative fuel choices on 111 vehicles.
FedEx has acquired 630 EPA-certified low emission vehicles for its delivery fleet.
FedEx has 240 alternative-fuel vans operating in its fleet.
2.3 Hybrid Electric Vehicle
Fed Ex has teamed up with the Environmental Defense and Eaton Corporation to launch a new hybrid electric vehicle. This vehicle will decrease particulate matter emissions by 96 percent, NO2 emissions by 65 percent, and disappear 57 percent farther on a gallon of fuel.
This Eaton hybrid-electric power train that they created combines a much smaller diesel engine and electric motor with a weight of 16,000 lbs. A computer installed in the system finds the most efficient combination between the diesel engine and electric motor for running this vehicle. For acceleration of the vehicle, energy is captured by the engine’s battery and stored during regenerative breaking, allowing no needed charging of the battery.
2.4 Aircraft Noise
FedEx has taken steps to reduce noise levels in their aircrafts for ten years. Currently, they meet all Federal Noise Certification Standards for their jet-powered aircrafts and act in accordance with with FAA Stage III noise requirements. FedEx also participated in the national task force that encouraged Congress to pass the Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990. FedEx and Pratt & Whitney and Boeing designed a noise reduction component for Boeing 727’s in 1990. This helps them comply with their FAA noise requirements.
2.5 Packaging and Recycling
In an effort to improve their impact on the environment, Fed Ex has many ongoing initiatives for its packaging materials.
Initiatives:
Packaging uses recycled and recyclable materials.
Packaging uses water-based inks that are no threat to the environment and can be recycled.
The FedEx envelope is made of 100 percent recyclable material, 35 percent post-consumer content, and post-consumer product is not bleached.
FedEx Paks are formed using 25 percent recycled Tyvek material and is returned to the manufacturer to be reused.
2.6 Greenhouse Gases
FedEx has introduced many technologies in there organization to reduce greenhouse gases from being released from its facilities, operations, and products.
In 2004, FedEx started to construct a solar electric system atop its hub at Oakland International Airport. This solar-powered system will power over 80 percent of the energy demanded to run the facility. The system will be a 904 kilowatt solar system and will add one megawatt of zero-polluting electric generating capacity. Also, FedEx eliminated its Express Letter in 1999 with the FedEx Envelope. This has reduced net greenhouse gases being released by 12 percent annually.
3 The US Postal Service (USPS)
The United States Postal Service has ongoing initiative in environment and energy use to help reduce their impact towards the environment.
3.1 Alternative Fuel Vehicle Program
USPS invests time and money into the ongoing program to introduce alternative fuel vehicles into its fleet that are more environmentally conscious. USPS has 37,000 alternative fuel vehicles operating in its fleet today, and uses available alternative fuel where ever they are available and cost effective. The use of these fuels allows USPS to acquire emission reduction credits that are traded on the commodity market.
General Motors and USPS worked together to deploy a General Motors HydroGen3 fuel cell minivan to deliver mail in Washington D.C. The goal of this vehicle is to allow USPS to:
Evaluate fuel cell vehicle technology
Meet environmental laws for alternative-fueled federal vehicle fleets
Reduce hastily operation cost
Decrease maintenance costs
Acquire its image as an environmentally-conscious organization
3.2 Safety and Environmental Performance Management
The Postal Service combined existing departments of safety, environment, ergonomic risks, and OSHA to form the Safety and Environmental Performance Management department. This department manages all safety, health, and environmental programs. The USPS new policy is to incorporate all environmental activities into the day to day operations of the company. USPS has also developed the Environmental Management Systems Program which is used to identify and evaluate environmental and business issues within the company, then incorporate these environmental policies into the business aspects of the company.
3.3 Solid and Uncertain Kill Management
The goal of USPS’s Solid and Dangerous Waste Management Program is to find new ways to reduce the amount of hazardous material used by the USPS. The program is also stale to ensure that any uncertain wastes created by the company are also disposed of properly and do not harm human health.
Recycling and Resource Sustainability
USPS sponsors pollutions prevention, reducing waste, recycling, and reusing material to help keep our natural resources from getting destroyed. The postal service recycles one million tons of cardboard, plastics, cans, and other material bringing in about 10 million dollars in revenue. They also purchase around 200 million dollars worth of products with recycled material.
USPS has a partnership with UNICOR Federal Prison Industries to obtain outmoded electronic equipment for recycling or reuse. In 2004, they recycled over 350 tons of computers and parts instead of being dumped into a landfill. 50,000 computers were resold.
REFERENCES:
“The Environment.” FedEx. 30 October 2007. < http://www.fedex.com/us/about/
responsibility/environment.html>
“Environmental Facts: UPS Airlines.” United Parcel Service of America, Inc. Copyright 1994-2007. 5 September 2007 /0,2305,1212,00.html? mkname=upsairlines>
Eskew, Michael L. “When Brown Turns Green (Part I).” The Globalist. 27 July 2006. 5 September 2007 < http://www.theglobalist.com/storyid.aspx? StoryId=5527>
Eskew, Michael L. “When Brown Turns Green (Part II).” The Globalist. 28 July 2006. 5 September 2007 < http://www.theglobalist.com/storyid.aspx? StoryId=5528>
Hall, Robert. “Clean Fleets: A UPS Perspective.” Parcel. 3 October 2006. 5 September 2007 < http://www.parcelindustry.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp? sid=&nm=&type
=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=B38DBDFBFE9943338387BC2BA629161A&AudID=715D287935334A1EB727D76FA202AADA>
Hall, Robert. “Hydraulic Hybrid Promises Gigantic Savings for UPS.” Hydraulic and Pneumatics. 5 September 2007 GlobalSearch/Article/False/38545/ups>
UPS Sustainability. United Parcel Service of America, Inc. 5 September 2007
“USPS Environmental Impacts.” United States Postal Service. 30 October 2007
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