Officeworks in landmark environment deal

Officeworks-Greening-deal
MD of Officeworks, Mark Ward, with Gordon Davis, president of Greening Australia, and landholder Julian von Bibra

Officeworks will spend $3.6m over three years in an Australian first deal, which sees the stationery retailer launch a two-for-one tree planting initiative.

In a deal announced on Wednesday, Officeworks has partnered with not-for-profit, Greening Australia, to launch the initiative that will see 200,000 native plants established each year across the country.

In the second half of 2017, over 100,000 seeds and seedlings will be planted across the Tasmanian Midlands, NSW Highliands and Victorian Volcanic Plains, where 85 per cent of the natural habitat has been lost.

Speaking to Inside Retail, Officeworks MD Mark Ward, said the program was less to do with the business case, and more about the wellbeing of the communities in which the stationery chain operates.

“I think it’s an expectation from a customer – forget whether it’s Officeworks or any other product, business or government – that we are doing the right thing by the environment and actually have plans in place to do more things to improve environmental outcomes,” he said.

“Being part of the ongoing growth and wellbeing of the communities we operate, that’s what this is really about.”
Approximately 70 per cent of all Officeworks paper and wood-based products is currently derived from 100 per cent recycled content or having Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification.

The stationery chain said its suppliers are on board with the campaign, with 39 of the companies brands including Fuji Xerox, HP, Canon, Brother, Spirax and Konica Minolta all supporting the initiative.

Phil Bishop, Officeworks head of merchandise, marketing & supply chain, said the deal had been in the making for about two years.

“We have longstanding relationships with the supply base, which we’ve been able to leverage and are always really positive abut programs like this because it’s a tangible attachment to their products,” he told Inside Retail.

When asked if retailers pay lip service when it comes to environmental issues and sustainability, Bishop said Officeworks had a “genuine interest” in using its business to make a positive impact.

“Over 90 percent of our private label paper is either 100 per cent recycled or FSC accredited, we’ll have that at 100 per cent by the end of the financial year,” he said.

“No one asked us to do that, no one required us to do that, we’ve done that because we believe that’s the right thing to do.

“This [deal] is a continuation of that in that we’re aware that paper consumption is something that our customers are sensitive to,” he said.
Bishop said marketing for the partnership will be rolled out over time, with Officeworks conscious that it’s supply base involves products that are not unique to the stationery retailer.

“It’s not something were going to impose upon our suppliers if their products go beyond our four walls but definitely you’ll see it [promotional activity] coming to life in store and online.

“Initially this is about us being in the background, we’ve provided the funding, provided the capability for Greening and the landowners to do this and then in time we’ll be to talk a little bit more as we’ve acutally got some trees popping up out of the ground.”

Access exclusive analysis, locked news and reports with Inside Retail Weekly. Subscribe today and get our premium print publication delivered to your door every week.

You have 7 articles remaining. Unlock 15 free articles a month, it’s free.