Tesco has become the first major retailer to start transporting freight by canal.
The pioneering move will cut carbon emissions by 80 per cent.
The scheme, which will initially be used to transport wine across a 40-mile stretch of canal, will run along the Manchester Ship Canal, from Liverpool to Manchester.
Tesco said switching to barges will take 50 lorries off the road each week, resulting in a saving of 1.1 million kilometres (683,000 miles) of heavy lorry journeys on UK roads.
Plans are underway for Tesco to use similar waterborne freight routes across Britain.
The supermarket giant believes its use of the waterways could trigger much more traffic on the canals, as distribution companies search for viable alternatives to the congested roads in the UK.
Tesco distribution director Laurie McIlwee said: “Other businesses have merely discussed switching over to transporting their cargo by waterway one day, but we are actually doing it.
“This move will be like taking a step back to the pre-car days of the late Victorian era ¬¬- when a lot of cargo was still transported by canal - but is a step forward in helping to address today's important environmental issues.
"We are continually reviewing alternative green methods of transporting cargo and this is our first waterborne project within the UK. We are already looking at other areas where we can move freight on waterways.
The transport innovation was developed through a partnership between Tesco, Salford-based importers and bottlers Kingsland Wines and Spirits, and the co-operation of the Peel Ports union between Manchester Ship Canal and the Port of Liverpool.
The scheme has won the support of independent pressure group Sea and Water, which lobbies for maximising the use of UK waterways for freight transport.
Sea and Water director Francis Power said: “Tesco are to be commended for their vision, leadership, and commitment to reducing the environmental impact of modern consumer expectations.”
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