Statistics from the National Waste Report* showed that in 2020-21, Australia generated 75.8 megatonnes(Mt) of total waste - that’s roughly the equivalent of the weight of 471 Sydney Opera Houses.
At Blackwoods, we know that we each need to do our part to protect our environment and natural ecosystems. Blackwoods has clearly defined emission reduction targets and is also committed to reducing waste from its operations. We understand that your business likely has similar goals of its own. That’s why we partner with suppliers that are transparent about their products and their processes and are actively striving to make their operations more sustainable.
Ansell is one of those partners that takes sustainability seriously. The Ansell Earth program focuses on reducing environmental impact in five product life cycle areas: Material, Manufacturing, Packaging, Use, and End of Use – with an end goal of transitioning to Net Zero Emissions** by 2040.
Zero waste to landfill initiates
In 2019, Ansell embarked on a journey to get to Zero Waste to Landfill. They used their 5R principles of refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle to initiate changes in the way they do things. To date, five of Ansell-owned manufacturing plants have been certified as Zero Waste to Landfill (ZWL) under Intertek ZWL certification program, each diverting greater than 99% of its waste from landfill.
Sustainable packaging program
In 2021, Ansell launched their 5-year Sustainable Packaging Program and at just two years in, they’ve already seen massive reductions in their packaging waste.
Results at the end of 2023
- Plastic reduction in industrial product packaging: 35% a year
- Paper reduction in industrial product packaging: 46% a year
- Recyclable materials used for packaging: 96%
- Minimising shipping volume: Gloves packed in 5 shipper case sizes
- Reduction of materials: Digital instruction manuals launched in North and Latin America. Ansell is currently working through digitalising instruction manuals for the AU market and anticipate this to be completed by end of 2024.
- Digital transformation: QR codes added to primary product packaging
Procurement peace of mind
When you buy safety gloves or other products from Ansell, you can rest assured you’re getting the personal protective equipment (PPE) you need without compromising your business’s environmental values and goals for sustainability.
“Ansell’s passion and authentic focus on sustainability is highly regarded, from achieving zero waste in their facilities, transitioning manufacturing sites away from fossil fuels and into renewable energy sources, and reducing packaging footprint. All this combined has such a good impact on our value chain, including our customers, generating a reduction in Scope 3 emissions, and enabling less waste,” says Sarnia Hobson, Blackwoods’ Head of Sustainability.
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