FedEx joins Capital Equipment Coalition

FedEx Express Europe has become the newest member of the Capital Equipment Coalition (CEC) in Europe.

Led by not-for-profit organisation Circle Economy, in close collaboration with the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE), the Capital Equipment Coalition (CEC) engages leading businesses from multiple industries involved in the servicing, manufacturing, or operating of durable goods known as “capital equipment.”  FedEx Express Europe joins nine coalition members, each putting forward a pledge to increase circularity in relation to their own supply or use of capital equipment.

A global transportation provider, FedEx Express Europe sorts over two million packages per day in its three air hubs and 34 road hubs in Europe – each making use of high-value technical equipment. Large equipment such as sortation machines, conveyor rollers, weight check and x-ray equipment, and caster decks used in operational facilities, in addition to smaller handheld devices couriers take with them on the road are all included in scope of the commitment.

David Canavan, COO, FedEx Express Europe said: “As FedEx embarks on a journey towards its goal to achieve carbon neutral operations by 2040, building circular practises into our sourcing and procurement processes will help to reduce the impact of our operations. Our participation in the Capital Equipment Coalition allows us to engage in shared-value learning experience with other industries and helps us work with suppliers to put sustainability front of mind when we source equipment, whether at size or at scale.”

FedEx Express Europe’s pledge aims to reduce the use of raw materials, while also seeking to extend the lifespan of the capital equipment it procures. This builds on existing sustainability considerations to include specifying the use of durable materials and, where possible, favouring a modular design that allows for easier extensions, upgrades, and repairs.

Tamara Veldboer, lead facilitator of CEC in Europe said: “We’re delighted to welcome FedEx Express Europe as the newest member of the Capital Equipment Coalition. FedEx Express Europe brings the perspective of an organisation that sources and procures capital equipment, with the ambition of engaging its suppliers in very practical and scalable ways.”

In joining the coalition, FedEx Express Europe commits to adopting a ‘continuous improvement’ approach, working with suppliers of equipment large and small, to set ambitious sustainability specifications that both minimise the material footprint and extend the lifecycle of equipment it procures. In addition to encouraging use of recycled and recyclable materials in capital equipment, FedEx Express Europe also seeks to formalise end-of-use plans with its suppliers – whether through responsible disposal, repurposing, or recycling of the equipment.