Berlin, 10 July 2023 – Forto, the leading European digital freight forwarder, today announced that L. Priebs, a sustainability-focused manufacturer of Lupriflex safety footwear, has shipped its first container with biofuel.
A 200 years old family business with sustainability at heart
Lupriflex has been manufacturing safety footwear for various industries, including forestry, civil engineering and warehousing, since 1798. In 2008, the company decided to make sustainability one of its guiding principles and in 2021, launched the PETer, the first Lupriflex shoe made from recycled PET bottles, saving 50% of CO2 emissions compared to a leather shoe. It won the German Prize for Sustainability Projects 2021.
Just like Forto, Lupriflex has joined the Science Based Targets initiative and set science-based climate targets to contribute to limiting global warming to well below 2°C, as agreed in the Paris Agreement. In its sustainability strategy, Lupriflex goes far beyond the requirements prescribed for small and medium-sized enterprises. For example, the family-owned company does not limit itself to the selection of raw materials to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also works with other sources of emissions such as packaging, printed matter and transport.
Biofuel reduces 100% of transport’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Forto’s biofuel offer is the reason why Lupriflex chose the digital forwarder to transport its containers from China to Germany and Belgium. Forto orchestrates sea and rail transport from the port of loading to the warehouse, including customs and transit clearance, fiscal duty processing and onward trucking. In June 2023, Forto delivered the first 40-foot container booked with biofuel to the shoe manufacturer’s headquarters in Haltern am See.
Forto uses only second-generation biofuels produced from sustainable waste streams such as used cooking oil. As with green electricity, the emission reduction is achieved on another vessel and allocated to customers interested in reducing emissions. The correct allocation is verified by independent auditors. By opting for biofuel, Lupriflex is stimulating demand for sustainable solutions in transport logistics and accelerating the industry’s transformation.
Forto helps Lupriflex achieve its environmental goals
Lupriflex has already achieved its goal of halving its emissions at the Haltern am See site from 2018 to 2030. The challenge for the shoe manufacturer is now to reduce emissions from its supply chain, even if this is not required of small and medium-sized enterprises. By making a conscious decision to use biofuel for transport, Lupriflex is on track to achieve its long-term goal of becoming an emissions-free company by 2050.
“We chose to work with Forto because the company offers biofuel. Only if we reduce our transport emissions will we manage to become an emissions-free company by 2050. It is particularly useful that the impact of biofuel on sea freight-related greenhouse gas emissions is clearly documented. We also receive a third party certificate that monitors the process. This transparency and reliability are essential for us to report on our progress towards the science-based targets,” said Markus Nelke, CEO of Lupriflex.
“We are proud to work with Lupriflex, a 225-year-old family-owned enterprise that, through constant innovation, is a living example of what companies can do to reduce their impact on the environment. We look forward to working with Lupriflex to expand our sustainability offering,” said Achim Jüchter, Head of Sustainable Logistics at Forto.
About Lupriflex
Founded in 1798, the family business L. Priebs GmbH & Co. KG, based in Haltern am See, specialises in the manufacture and sale of protection boots and waterproof safety footwear under its own brand Lupriflex. Protecting the environment, being fair to people and manufacturing functional and safe products are the company’s principles. Recyclable safety footwear is its vision for the future. www.sicherheitsschuhe.de