OPINION
Sustainable
CUSTOMER SERVICE
O
fficeworks is committed to making a tangible difference to people and the planet. Not just because it is the right thing to do, but on the grounds that it is important to our team, customers, partners, shareholders and locations in which we operate. It is simply good for business. We know customers want to engage more in sustainability efforts. Our role is to make it easy for them to do so, without compromising the value of the products or services on offer. People also tell us that they recognise sustainability is a shared effort between our contribution as an organisation and the actions they take. In 2015, Officeworks established its Positive Difference Plan. This outlined the goals with which we would support our employees, enhance our support for communities, source goods in sustainable and responsible ways, and reduce the company’s overall environmental impact. This year, the approach has evolved considerably to include a further 18 pledges over the next five years to continue to make a positive difference in terms of sustainability.
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DEEP COMMITMENT The latest responsibilities include establishing a diverse team that possesses a keen sense of belonging and is genuinely connected to its local neighbourhoods. It also involves taking meaningful climate action by committing to use 100% renewable electricity from 2025 and contributing to the circular economy by becoming a zero-waste business. Our two-for-one tree planting initiative, Restoring Australia, represents one way in which we make it effortless for customers to take further sustainable steps. Simply by buying paper products from Officeworks, they are helping rehabilitate landscapes across Australia. Since launching the programme in 2017, clients have helped us restore over 1,500 hectares of land – the target is to plant two million trees by 2025.
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Globally, e-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams (see also Feature, page 30), and increasingly, consumers want to dispose responsibly of their unwanted items. Our Bring it Back programme is available across the Officeworks store network and provides customers with a free, easy and secure way to recycle items including printers, laptops, mobile phones, and ink and toner cartridges. We have also launched a national battery, pens and marker recycling programme – the mission is to repair, repurpose or recycle 17,000 tonnes of discarded items over the next five years.
Sarah Hunter is Managing Director of Australian office supplies reseller Officeworks
Officeworks is committed to making a tangible difference to people and the planet. Not just because it is the right thing to do […] It is simply good for business ESSENTIAL RULE As a company, we are continuing to explore ways to support our clientele and respond to their ever-changing needs, including providing them with an augmented range of ‘greener choice’ products that are better for the environment. We need to make it painless for buyers to discover these items wherever and whenever they shop – online or in store – and ensure they are affordable while being uncompromising on quality. The excellent progress we have made so far on our sustainability journey wouldn’t have been possible without the support, commitment and passion of our workforce, customers and partners, who all play a crucial part in making such a valuable impact. For more information on the progress of Officework’s Positive Difference Plan and 2025 goals, visit www.officeworks.com.au/pdp
GREEN THINKING
SPECIAL
