At the end of May, Nike opened its new warehouse, which will be used to serve all of Europe from a single location. This warehouse is incredibly sustainable, which is always welcome when it comes to large companies. The Nike European Logistics Campus as the place is called spans an area of 1.6 million sq ft (150,000 sq m) and is located 31 miles (50 km) outside of Antwerp, Belgium.
According to Nike, the warehouse is built to LEED standards, though they did not provide a LEED rating. It is also energy-neutral, while 100 percent of its power comes from renewable energy sources. These include solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric and biomass sources. The wind turbines located near the warehouse are 492-ft (150-m-high) and are reportedly able to generate enough electricity to power 5,000 households. And the on-site PV array covers an area the size of three soccer fields.
About 99 percent of containers bringing in the goods reach the facility by water, though there is also a network of railways, canals and highways, which provide access. They estimate that this reduces the number of needed truck journies by about 14,000 a year. For moving the products, Nike uses a number of fast moving hybrid robot cranes, which are able to regenerate energy much like hybrid cars do.
The structure itself is completely supported by the racks on which the goods are stored. By building it this way, they were able to use less material and create less waste during the construction process, compared to a steel and concrete-built structure. They also recycle 95 percent of waste products, and all the pathways around the warehouse are made from recycled footwear.
They fitted the warehouse with large windows to let in plenty of natural light, and equipped it with smart, automated LED lighting to be used when required. They also have water efficiency systems in place in the form of storm and discharge water buffering, infiltration and recycling. The building also has a green roof. In addition to that, they also added beehives to help with flower pollination in the area, and they will be using sheep instead of lawnmowers.
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