Tesco switches wine distribution from road to canal

UK SUPERMARKET chain Tesco has become the first major UK retailer to start transporting freight by canal. The waterborne move to the Manchester Ship Canal will result in thousands of trucks being taken off Britain’s congested roads. The company will ferry wine by barge from Liverpool to Manchester, cutting carbon emissions compared with road transport by 80% according to a statement. It will take 50 trucks off the road every week which will result in a saving of 1.1 million kilometres of heavy truck journeys on British roads. Plans are already under way by Tesco to use similar waterborne freight routes across Britain. “This move will be like taking a step back to the pre-car days of the late Victorian era when a lot of cargo was still transported by canal, but is a step forward in helping to address today’s important environmental issues,” said Tesco distribution director Laurie McIlwee. “We are continually reviewing alternative green methods of transporting cargo and this is our first waterborne project within the UK. We are already looking at other areas where we can move freight on waterways,” he said.