On a recent visit to our customer Kaiser Aluminum’s production facility, we discovered they were undertaking some big initiatives to reduce their impact on the environment including carbon and waste reduction. As their partner, we felt we should participate in this great initiative and support them in reaching their goals. To help Kaiser in their mission, we turned to our partners Seko Logistics and Ramsay Freight and Customs Brokerage for ideas on how to execute.
Seko Logistics and Ramsay Freight and Customs Brokerage were able to source and secure economical transportation and brokerage to return dunnage and tie-down straps from international shipments destined for Europe, for re-use in new shipments. Typically, when shipping a full container of aluminum to Europe, every container requires eight to ten airbags and six to eight tie-down straps. These items are designed to be used multiple times however it is difficult given the distances in shipping to recover them for re-use. The Kaiser Seko return program reduces waste generated from shipping cargo across the ocean.
Receiver warehouses around the world began to deflate air bags and pack them tight into pallets for onsite storage starting in March of this year. Once enough were accumulated, the bags and tie down straps were shipped back to IntermodeX in Richmond, B.C. These pallet shipments are referred to as an LCL Shipment (or Less than Container Load). That means the pallets are combined with another customer’s shipment destined for Canada and moved across the globe. Think of it as an Uber ride share, but for freight.
On July 10, our first shipment was received back at IntermodeX, and we immediately began re-using those same airbags to secure cargo for the next trip across the ocean. This is just a small step in our green journey and we’re hoping by sharing Kaiser and Seko’s story, it will inspire other customers and stakeholders to share their green success stories.
