Menzies pioneers fully recyclable livery on final mile fleet

Innovative environmental branding initiative in the wake of the COP26 climate summit

Menzies Distribution is proud to announce it is the [UK’s] first distribution business to specify fully recyclable branding for its final mile vehicle fleet, embracing this concept from the start and helping refine the approach and benefits.

In its latest environmental initiative, Menzies partnered with vehicle and architectural branding experts Aura Brand Solutions, and sign materials manufacturer Metamark, to review the materials used in fleet livery graphics. The work has focused on testing and developing MetaStream, a new process offering an attractive recycling option for a wide range of proven Metamark materials.

MetaStream process enables a circular recycling route for qualified Metamark materials used, among other commercial applications, for fleet livery. Metamark uses the MetaStream process itself as part of its ‘Zero To Landfill’ initiative dealing with already low levels of production waste.

The input for the process is a variety of printed and coloured films, recovered and consolidated by the fleet livery producer, while outputs include a variety of transport related articles, even traffic cones, which may be recycled many times. MetaStream prevents high-quality and very useful materials from entering landfill or incineration streams and presents a genuinely circular recycling route. The process also recycles the materials’ liner papers post-production.

The Menzies livery was produced to the business’s brand standards, initially using MetaStream-Ready digital media before moving to bespoke MetaStream materials. All materials and processes used in the production and installation of the branding meet the requirements of the MetaStream process with all waste being 100% recycled into 2nd and 3rd life products. Minimising landfill is a clear objective of Menzies and the MetaStream approach fits perfectly with this.

Menzies is the first distribution business to specify MetaStream qualified Metamark materials for its fleet livery and Aura Brand Solutions, already familiar with the process and its end-to-end workflow, managed every stage of the livery’s production, installation, eventual recovery and recycling. The initial phases of Menzies’ programme will have contributed an initial saving of some three tonnes of CO2, equivalent to the output of two cars driving around an inner-city for a year.

Commenting on the initiative, Adam Purshall, Fleet & Procurement Director at Menzies, said:

“Launching this ground-breaking initiative hot on the heels of COP26 couldn’t be more appropriate. We’re delighted with early CO2 savings from the recyclable livery programme and determined to continue pursuing innovative routes to greater sustainability at Menzies.”

The company’s Route Optimisation initiative has dramatically reduced the road miles covered by its fleet and some 260,000 of road miles travelled by Menzies vehicles are already emission free and wider electrification of the fleet is gathering pace.

Menzies has been recognised by its peers for its commitment to socially responsible and sustainable practices. In 2020, the business won sector awards for ‘Most Innovative Business of the Year’ and in 2021 it won What Van Magazine’s Green Fleet of the Year, The Supply Chain Excellence Sustainability Award and Logistics UK’s Green Fleet Van Operator of the Year, along with Van Operator of the Year.