Bestseller signs deal with Freja for biodiesel truck deliveries in Europe

Denmark-based fashion company, Bestseller has partnered with Freja, a transportation and logistics provider, to “substantially” reduce CO2 emissions from the fashion group’s deliveries.

The two Danish enterprises’ collaboration will see biodiesel trucks powered by hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) transport Bestseller’s products to the Nordic countries and other parts of Europe.

Bestseller, whose brands include Jack & Jones, Vero Moda, and Selected, said the agreement will reduce CO2 emissions by 500 tonnes per year and is an “essential step” in the company’s climate plan.

The first products transported using the new trucks were in the Benelux region in November, and deliveries have now been expanded to the Nordic countries.

Anders Frost Nygård, who is responsible for Bestseller’s online deliveries, said that as part of their sustainability strategy ‘Fashion FWD,’ they are trying to minimize their total CO2 emissions at Bestseller. While transportation is not the most pressing issue, it is an area in which they can invest and improve quite fast.

The arrangement comes after Bestseller joined with shipping company Maersk last year in an effort to help the apparel retailer’s international transportation become carbon neutral.

The agreement has already resulted in a reduction of 7,684 tonnes of CO2, with a total yearly reduction of about 11,500 tonnes expected in the future.

In November, Freja and Bestseller launched the first biodiesel trucks to transport online purchases between Bestseller’s e-Commerce logistics facility in Poland and the Benelux countries. Following the initial phase’s success, the cooperation is being expanded to encompass the Nordic region.

Torben Mortensen, Chairman of the Board Poland and Regional Director South Denmark at Freja, said that their collaboration with Bestseller is unique, and this idea has come to fruition because they are eager to invest in sustainable fuel. They want to develop with their customers and test new sorts of sustainable alternatives to diesel, but they can’t do it alone, therefore the relationship with Bestseller is important to them.

Freja’s trucks operate on HVO, which is manufactured from waste products (e.g. used cooking oil). This can result in a CO2e decrease of up to 90%. As a result, this biodiesel is deemed climate neutral in the combustion phase, while emissions from the processing of biodegradable goods for fuel are also restricted.

Torben Mortensen added that there is no doubt that future transportation will be better and have a lower impact on the climate and ecology. They elected to employ their own trucks in their relationship with Bestseller. This allows them to acquire knowledge regarding consumption, service intervals, and so on, allowing them to further develop the product.