How ADI UK is Building a More Sustainable Future

At ADI Global Distribution, sustainability is not an afterthought it is being built into the way we run our offices, manage our warehouses, and deliver products to our customers. As one of the UK's leading distributors of security, fire, and AV products, we recognise the responsibility that comes with our scale, and we are committed to reducing our environmental impact at every stage of our operation. From head office to delivery service, here is how we are putting that commitment into action. 

Office Initiatives

Small changes across our offices and warehouses add up to a noticeable reduction in waste and energy use. Every area of our head office building is fitted with dedicated recycling bins for paper, card, and plastics, making it easy for staff to separate waste correctly at the source. 

We have also invested in energy-saving infrastructure throughout our buildings, including motion-activated, 100% LED lighting that only operates when spaces are in use, and zoned heating controls that manage temperature according to occupancy rather than heating empty rooms unnecessarily. 

To support greener travel, we have installed twenty EV charging points for employees, encouraging the switch to hybrid and electric vehicles. Inside our buildings, boiling Zip water taps have replaced traditional kettles, cutting unnecessary energy use, and we have removed single-use plastics in favour of reusable cups across our sites allowing cup-less coffee machines to be installed.  

Solar Power at Head Office 

One of our most significant real estate projects has been in solar energy at our International Head Office. In April 2025, working with installer Two Blues Solar, and with landlord funding, a 125kWp solar panel installation made up of 285 individual modules were added to the roof of the ADI Internation head office and warehouse. The system generates clean electricity to power our head office operations, with any excess energy fed back into the national grid. 

The impact has been substantial: the installation is reducing energy costs at head office by an estimated £60,000 per year, while cutting our reliance on grid electricity and lowering our carbon footprint. 

In addition to Solar Power at Head office, a similar system has been installed at our 2nd  UK Distribution Hub (Cobalt) working with installer Electron Green with estimated savings in the region of £30,000 per year in energy usage. 

Battery Recycling

Batteries are a core part of the security and low-voltage industry, so we have made it simple for customers and staff to dispose of them responsibly. ADI stores, as well as our head office, has dedicated battery recycling bins, allowing customers to drop off old or used batteries free of charge, helping keep harmful materials out of landfill. ADI then works with recongnised battery recycling companies to ensure ecological disposal and recycling of these batteries. 

Warehouse Initiatives 

Our warehouses are where a lot of our day-to-day environmental impact happens, and we are tackling this on two fronts: what we are doing now, and what is coming next. 

Currently in place:

On the packaging side, our void fill is manufactured from 100% recycled plastics, including post-industrial recycled content, and is fully recyclable. We have also introduced paper tape and paper void fill as lower-impact alternatives, and wherever possible we reuse void fill material from incoming goods rather than disposing of it, reducing both waste and cost. 

On the recycling side, we separate and recycle cardboard, pallet wrap and plastics across our warehouse operations, working closely with our recycling partner to ensure materials are processed responsibly. 

On the horizon: 
From September 2026, our materials handling equipment fleet — forklifts, pallet jacks and automated vehicles will see a switch from lead-acid batteries to lithium-ion technology, with an anticipated 30% saving in energy use. We are also reviewing the possibility of moving to 100% paper void fill across our packaging.

Delivery & Supply Chain Logistics

Sustainability does not stop at our warehouse doors — it extends to how products reach our customers. In October 2025, we changed our primary outbound delivery provider to DPD, a company that has made sustainable delivery a core part of its business strategy and holds a validated Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) commitment of Net Zero by 2040. 

DPD's UK fleet is already 36.64% electric, and through the use of EVs has saved an estimated 11,872 tonnes of CO2e year-to-date (as of June 2026) compared with standard diesel delivery, across 43,009,005 electric deliveries. By partnering with a provider leading the way on sustainable logistics, we can reduce the carbon footprint of every order that leaves our warehouses. 

For inbound inventory, we partner with Expeditors to manage the import of vendor stock via ocean freight. Ocean shipping is one of the lowest-carbon transport options for international freight, and Expeditors supports more sustainable supply chains through freight consolidation, route optimisation and emissions reporting, helping to reduce the environmental impact of global transportation.

Looking Ahead

From solar panels and EV charging to recyclable packaging and lower-carbon deliveries, sustainability runs through every part of how ADI Global Distribution UK operates. We know there is more to do, and our plans show that this is an evolving commitment rather than a finished project.

As we continue to invest in greener infrastructure and smarter operations, our goal remains the same: to deliver the products our customers depend on, while reducing the environmental impact of doing so, for our business, our industry, and the communities we live in to protect the future.