Toll’s custom-built Nike warehouse in Melbourne’s Altona North has become the first-ever facility in Australia to achieve a whole-of-building carbon neutral certification under the National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS).
Toll said certification of the Toll-Nike logistics facility, owned by Stockland, caps off its significant investment in energy efficiency at the site, which was named Best Industrial Project at the National Energy Efficiency Awards in 2017. The site’s energy efficiency program featured upgrades to a 2.5 kilometre long conveyor system that is powered by 145 individual electric motors, and the retrofitting of 1,300 light fixtures with high-efficiency LED. This has led to a halving of the site’s total electricity consumption, exceeding the greenhouse reductions required by NCOS.
The site has also received a Green Star Performance rating, the first Green Star rating for Nike and Toll, and the first in Stockland’s Logistics portfolio.
Nike’s operations director Marie Varrasso said the success of the facility reflects the company’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint while delivering efficient products and savings that can be passed on to its customers directly.
“Through this collaboration continuous improvements have been introduced into the supply chain, which ultimately benefits Nike’s footwear, apparel and equipment customers. It’s a unique relationship, with innovation at the heart of everything we do,” said Ms Varrasso.
Toll Global Logistics president Chris Pearce said it was the partnership between Toll, Nike and Stockland that made the carbon neutral certification and Green Star rating possible.
“Toll and Nike’s partnership began when this facility was built in 1999. It was the first distribution centre to be built by Toll’s specialised warehousing division and, at the time, this type of supply chain asset was virtually non-existent in the market.
“It’s fitting that almost 20 years on, Nike, Toll, and Stockland have been awarded this landmark certification – a testament to our continuous innovation. This is a milestone achievement for all and demonstrates our collective commitment to reducing environmental impacts and introducing smarter, more sustainable solutions across our operations,” added Mr Pearce.
The Toll-Nike facility provides specialised warehousing, picking and dispatch capable of handling more than 27,000 stock keeping units (SKU) and two million units of stock. The 18,000 sqm warehouse and fit-out were designed with environmental efficiency in mind and features:
- Translucent roof sheeting – to maximise daylight so warehouse lighting can be switched off when ambient light is sufficient.
- Energy-efficient lighting systems –powered by the latest LED technology suited to Nike’s warehousing needs. The system also improves visibility and safety, and motion sensors have been fitted to limit power usage to occupied areas.
- Roof insulation – to assist with temperature control.
- An optimised conveyor system –rewired and reprogrammed to operate in relation to product volumes, eliminating unnecessary movement.
Toll and Nike have offset the remaining greenhouse emissions generated by the building by investing in forest conservation projects in Tasmania as well as in an energy recovery waste water treatment plant in Thailand. These projects protect local biodiversity and native species support jobs in local communities and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.