Birds Eye Goes Green: Solar-Powered Refrigerated Trailers Set to Hit the Roads

Frozen food giant Birds Eye is taking a bold step toward greener logistics, introducing two solar-powered refrigerated trailers designed to reduce emissions from its UK supply chain. The move, part of the brand’s broader sustainability strategy, will be executed in partnership with European logistics powerhouse DFDS and Sunswap, a British tech firm specializing in clean transport solutions.

Unlike conventional diesel-run cooling systems, these next-gen trailers will harness energy from roof-mounted solar panels, paired with high-capacity battery storage, to power refrigeration—no fossil fuels, no compromise. The units will also be branded with eco-themed visuals and messaging, aiming to move food and minds, and raise consumer awareness about solar technology in logistics.

The new trailers are set to ferry Birds Eye goods from its manufacturing site in Lowestoft, Suffolk, to its central distribution hub in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire — a well-trodden route, now with a lower carbon footprint.

Why now? According to Birds Eye’s 2022 Impact Report, the brand’s emissions footprint is heavily tied to energy use: freezers (26.9%), site energy (23.5%), and logistics and warehousing (15.8%) are the top three culprits. With these solar trailers, the company estimates it will cut 24 tonnes of carbon emissions annually from its operations—a small shift but a significant signal of intent.

Birds Eye UK&IE’s general manager, Shaun Smith, said: “We’re delighted to be working with DFDS and Sunswap to help reduce the environmental impact of our operations.

“Sunswap’s proven electric technology enables us to maintain the highest standards of temperature-controlled transport while helping reduce our carbon emissions.

“It’s fitting that the technology we’re now using to support the running of these trailers uses the same sun that ripens our peas to perfection in the field, keeping our products frozen at their peak as they start their journey to millions of UK homes.”

Birds Eye is also a signatory of the UN’s Race to Zero campaign, committing to net-zero emissions by 2050. However, they’re not waiting until then: the company has pledged a 45% reduction in Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions per ton of product by 2025, using 2019 as the baseline.

Sunswap’s chief executive, Michael Lowe, said: “We’re thrilled to partner with Birds Eye on this important initiative to help reduce emissions in the supply chain.

“This collaboration with an industry food leader like Birds Eye confirms that our British-engineered and manufactured system not only matches the performance and reliability needed for temperature-critical food transport but goes further by reducing direct emissions and helping cut operating costs.”

This effort aligns with a growing industry-wide initiative to address the hidden carbon costs associated with refrigeration. Globally, food cooling accounts for approximately 5% of all energy consumption and is responsible for 2.5% of greenhouse gas emissions — a staggering figure that is often overlooked.

Innovations in this space aren’t new. British retailers such as Asda and Waitrose have already leveraged cutting-edge technology inspired by Formula 1 engineering, utilizing aerodynamic design principles from Williams Advanced Engineering to direct cold air more efficiently across refrigerated units.