Sustainable Parcel Delivery in Urban Areas with Micro Depots

Abstract

Due to the growing trend in urbanization, city logistics becomes of paramount importance to provide the inhabitants of cities with vital goods. Targets of city logistics are the relief of the strain on the transport infrastructure and the reduction of mostly direct emissions such as nitric oxide. The German CEP industry (courier, express and parcel) plays a major role in supplying cities with necessary goods. However, it also has negative impacts on the quality of living in urban areas such as exhaust and greenhouse gas emissions and blocked roads. To dampen these negative effects, the CEP service provider UPS (United Parcel Service) uses micro depots as a more sustainable alternative for parcel delivery.