Active Ants’ UK warehouse receives A+ sustainability rating
Active Ants’ fulfilment centre in the United Kingdom has been confirmed for an A+ sustainability rating by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This is thanks to its 988 solar panels, rainwater reuse and smart lighting systems. “It is very important to us that our buildings as well as the processes within them are as sustainable as possible”, says UK Country Director Khalil Ashong.
Active Ants’ building is awarded the highest level of the BREEAM certification. This is a sustainability label for buildings with the lowest possible impact on the environment. The A+ rating is also known as the ‘Outstanding’ category. Only less than 1 percent of all registered non-domestic buildings in the United Kingdom have received this mark.
988 solar panels
The fulfilment centre located in Northampton gets the label ‘Outstanding’, firstly because of its 988 solar panels: “These generate at least 40 percent of our energy requirement, and that is a conservative estimate”, UK Country Director Khalil Ashong says.
In addition, Active Ants’ UK warehouse has significantly reduced its water usage, Ashong explains. “Instead of using up water from the mains supply, we harvest rainwater underneath the ground and reuse it.” The rain water is used for everything in the building except for drinking, the Country Manager says.
Smart lighting system
Active Ants’ smart lighting systems further contributed to an A+ sustainability rating. Ashong: “Not only do we use energy efficient LED lighting, we also have timed sensors. When there is no movement for 2 minutes, the lights immediately switch off.”
Moreover, Ashong says, every other panel on the roof of the fulfilment centre is made into a sky light: “This provides a lot of natural light, but also releases hot air that accumulates at the top of the building.” Therefore, they act as a form of temperature control. “We also use eco-friendly comfort cooling instead of traditional air conditioning. This system uses fresh air and therefore does not emit greenhouse gases, like typical air conditioners do.”
‘Buildings and processes should be as sustainable as possible’
“It is much-needed that buildings have minimal environmental impact. But if you do business in a non-sustainable way, it is counter-effective”, UK Country Director Ashong says. Therefore, Active Ants continuously works to further reduce its carbon footprint. “For example, our wrapping machines cut parcels to size to eliminate excess waste and packaging material. And currently, 30 percent of our fleet is electrical.” Ashong finally adds: “It is very important to us that our buildings as well as the processes within them are as sustainable as possible.”