Independent Container Line (ICL) strives to be environmentally responsible while operating efficiently and without compromising safety and security.  ICL has a strong commitment to the preservation of the environment and the handling of our customer's products in a safe, responsible manner.  Since inception, we have never received a citation for the violation of any international, federal, or local regulation relating to the environment, safety, navigational law, or in the ocean transportation of hazardous materials.

ICL is now a SmartWay partner of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Click here to see the April 2010 publication.

Environmental Goals
Caring for the environment is a responsibility that ICL takes seriously. ICL has taken several initiatives in different areas of our operations that we believe will help the environment;

* Ports – ICL became the first carrier to introduce the 'Cold Ironing' concept at a European port (IMT Terminals at Antwerp, BG). Cold ironing is essentially running the ships, while in port, from a land side power source. Today, the industry practice is for vessels to run their auxiliary diesel engines while in port.  This practice has a negative impact on the environment that Cold Ironing will greatly reduce.  ICL received permission from the Antwerp Port Authority to make the investment in equipment that allowed Cold Ironing to become a reality for ICL in 2009.

* Vessels - ICL is ISO 9001:2000 certified. All four of our vessels are all certified by the International Safety Management code (ISM). The ISM code is a code of practice intended to improve the safety of international shipping and to reduce pollution from ships. The ship management company for the vessels also complies with the ISM code provisions and requirements.

ICL is a member of the World Shipping Council, an organization composed of Liner Shipping companies that is actively involved in establishing the regulation of Greenhouse Gas Emissions. ICL has taken its own initiative for reducing fuel consumption on our vessels by establishing parameters for vessel operations while at sea and by enhancing route guidance systems. This program was initiated during our 2008 summer season and the results were outstanding, with a  6.7% reduction in fuel consumed against a benchmark of 786 MT per sailing. Based on these results, we established our program for the winter season using same methodology and reduced our fuel consumption by 4.9% against established benchmark of 790 MT per sailing. In 2009, ICL has achieved additional total fuel savings of 678.81 MT which equates to a reduction of 5.45% compared to 2008. 

We are also in conversations with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States to evaluate a Deep Sea Carrier Performance Model similar to that in place for Land modes of transport under their Smart Way Transportation Partnership program in 2009.

* Inland Transportation – In the U.S. we encourage our trucking suppliers to embrace the Smart Way Transport Partnership (www.epa.gov/smartway) as a tool to enhance fuel efficiency strategies. In all of our areas of operations in the U.S. and Europe we have established mileage reduction goals to reduce the fuel consumption of our supplier’s trucks. The area we target is the percentage of empty mile run against total miles as we believe that if we reduce the % it will translate into more efficient transport which will equal less fuel consumption. Reductions are achieved by optimizing import / export combination and by evaluating / switching to alternative mode of transport.

So far this year we are performing as follows against our established goals in the United States;

2007 Empty Miles – 27.9%
2008 Goal – Less than 26%
2008 Empty Miles – 25.50%
2009 Goal – 27.00%
2009 Empty Miles YTD – 25.03%

As part of this initiative ICL established its own weekly Barge Service on the Rhine River in February of 2009. This service links terminals on the Rhine River with ICL’s terminal in Antwerp. The barge has a weekly capacity of approximately 180 TEUs and calls a terminal in Duisburg, Koblenz, Mainz, Ludwigshafen, and Woerth. This service has been implemented as recognition of the need to reduce our exposure to the ever increasing road congestion and also to capitalize on the benefit to the environment by reducing the number of long distance truck journeys. We will report on the impact of all of these initiatives on Europe after the end of this year and establish goals for 2010.

* Electronic Communication - Technology has made it possible for ICL to conduct business by computer, thus reducing paper consumption. From Express filing for import freight, and electronic invoicing- we have placed an emphasis on sharing the commitment of our customers for eco-friendly business practices. Our Wilmington NC and Antwerp BE Ports carry out all equipment interchanges electronically. That means every driver and container that goes in and out is now monitored by software that manages all transactions without having to ‘paper receipt’ each move. It is ICL’s ambition to have all ICL ports of call operating with paperless interchanges before the close of 2010.

* Our People – We have given our HELM Group the initiative to encourage all of our employees to establish their own Environmental initiatives. Through the efforts of a GREEN TEAM subcommittee, ICL has fostered individual contributions that lead to large scale results. Employees are encouraged to find ways to better steward the office by reusing supplies and ensuring that recyclable goods make their ways to bins and trash units that allow for their proper recycling. Employees are encouraged to Car Pool or utilize public transportation in an effort to conserve gas and emissions. Finally, ICL is the company that sees the value in “turning the light out when you leave the room,” as we commit to complete shut downs of our work stations, and our office at the end of the day. The same measures that we take to be as environmentally mindfully and economically fiscal by sea, are taking shape at our office for the betterment of each other and the world at-large. We will further develop this part of and establish goals for this initiative in 2010.