Bangkok - 31 October 2022 –To fulfil its mission to protect the planet, Wall’s Thailand announced that it is the first brand to shift to using 100% electric ice cream trucks in Thailand, celebrating its success in reducing carbon emissions by 76% when compared with using fossil fuels. The company plans to expand its number of EV trucks in 2023, reducing over 322 tons of carbon dioxide per year.
Mr. Abhijit Kulkarni, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore & Vietnam Lead and Innovation Lead for Ice Cream Business Unit, said that to successfully achieve net zero emissions in 2039, which is Unilever’s commitment, Wall’s Thailand is proud to promote the use of temperature-controlled freezer trucks which run on electricity (electric vehicles or EVs). This is the first time a brand is successfully using clean energy to deliver ice cream in Thailand making Wall’s a true pioneer. By using EV trucks, Wall’s can reduce carbon emissions by 76% compared with using fossil fuels.
The transition to EV trucks will help Wall’s reduce its use of fossil fuels and decrease carbon emissions as trucks with freezers consume more energy than conventional trucks. Despite having improved the sustainability of its transportation, the company continues to remain focused on delivering the same great taste and prioritising happiness for consumers.
“Though we have shifted to EV trucks for our deliveries, Wall’s guarantees the same quality and taste of Wall’s ice cream. The electricity runs the truck’s engines, is used in the temperature control system of the ice cream freezers and also serves as the backup temperature control system to prevent the ice cream from melting. The freezer maintains the temperature between -20 to -22 C to minimise any ice particles, keeping the ice cream’s great taste and smooth texture until it is delivered to consumers,” said Mr. Abhijit.
The transition to using clean energy for ice cream delivery initially creates higher costs than using gasoline, but Wall’s believes it is worth the investment for a better environment. This year, the company will use two EV trucks to deliver ice cream from its factory in Lat Krabang to its warehouse in Bang Na, reducing over 86 tons of carbon emissions per year.
According to the plan, in Q1 2023, Wall’s plans to continuously reduce carbon emissions by adding higher delivery volumes to the two EV trucks, doubling the amount of ice cream from 15 tons per truck to 28 tons each. And in Q2 2023, 100% of Wall’s primary transportation will utilise an EV truck, enabling the company to reduce carbon emissions by over 322 tons every year.
Wall’s operates under Unilever Compass focusing on how our purpose-led and future-fit business drives superior performance. The transition to EV trucks for ice cream delivery is among the efforts to achieve Unilever’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the company’s logistics by 40-50% over the next decade. To achieve this goal, the company is also exploring use of new technologies that utilise clean energy to deliver refrigerated and frozen products. Wall’s shift to EV trucks is just one of the success stories that are a part of this program.
Unilever set a goal to achieve net zero emissions from all products by 2039 covering the origin of materials to the point of sales, aiming for completion in advance of the Paris Agreement’s 2050 target. In addition to using EV trucks, Wall’s changed its ice cream packaging from plastic to paper cups which are biodegradable, reducing over 51 tons of plastic waste in 2021.
“We believe that climate change is everyone’s responsibility. Wall’s aims to continuously reduce carbon emissions from its logistics and decrease the amount of plastic waste to preserve our natural water resources and ecosystem. We are ready to develop more projects to mitigate global warming, revive natural resources, and support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) No. 12, Responsible production and consumption, and No. 13, Climate action for the sustainable well-being of people around the world. We thank all consumers who appreciate Wall’s ice cream as you are an important part of our initiative to save the planet and to reduce our environmental impact,” said Mr. Abhijit.
