EdE (l’Européenne d’Embouteillage) is the leading producer of fruit drinks in France, with 19 multi-purpose production lines across the country. It produces about 85% of the brands owned by Orangina Schweppes Group, including Orangina, Oasis and Schweppes.
The Challenge
EdE has pledged to reduce its carbon footprint by 20% by 2020. It recognised that its use of white pallets was a source of waste and sought an alternative that would deliver improved supply-chain performance, as well as extra efficiency.
The Answer
With CHEP’s managed pooling service, EdE rents and shares high-quality pallets, instead of needing to own, maintain and store them. An integrated electronic data interchange (EDI) system has also enabled EdE to streamline its processes.
Frédéric Darthout Supply Chain Director, EdECHEP has increased our production capacity and ensured complete pallet traceability.
Sustainability unlocks other supply-chain benefits
All EdE sites must undergo a regular environmental optimisation process, in line with the sustainable development policy at Orangina Schweppes Group. This process aims to reduce water and energy consumption, and maximise waste recovery. It’s also an opportunity to optimise production processes – cutting costs and improving overall performance.
In 2013, as part of the process, EdE stopped using white pallets at four of its plants and switched to CHEP’s managed pooling service. “This enabled us to reduce wood consumption and wastage by more than 1,000 tonnes, and to reduce CO2 emissions by around 1,100 tonnes, in comparison with 2012,” says Philippe Saliba, EdE’s Director of Quality, Environment, Health and Safety. EdE has since signed a new contract with CHEP to supply pallets across France, Spain and Belgium.
Efficient operations improve overall performance
With CHEP’s managed pooling service, EdE can rent and share pallets rather than having to buy, maintain and store them. It can also depend on CHEP to provide high-quality equipment in the right quantity, at the right time and in the right place. So it has been able to optimise product transport, from bottling factories to customers, with some product lines seeing a 25% reduction in their carbon footprint.
CHEP’s integrated EDI system has also enabled EdE to process equipment orders and deliveries more quickly and easily. This is cheaper than white pallet exchange, while enabling EdE to respond more flexibly to customer demand.
Half pallets help both producers and retailers
By adapting production lines to suit CHEP half-pallets, EdE has increased both its output and the visibility of its products at retail outlets. “The display pallets are sturdy, and perfectly adapted for our heavy products,” says Frédéric Darthout, EdE’s Supply Chain Director. “CHEP’s expertise and the quality of its integration processes facilitated a smooth transition of the half-pallet into our operations. They have increased our production capacity and ensure complete pallet traceability.”
Five benefits of the CHEP solution
Please enter your details below