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Staples Soul Home
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What is Staples Soul?
Staples Soul reflects our commitment to corporate social
responsibility. It brings together our efforts to give back to our
communities, embrace diversity, sustain the environment and
practice sound ethics. We recognise the impacts our decisions
have on our stakeholders and work with them to determine
mutually beneficial solutions.
The Pillars of Staples Soul
Ethics
We strive to act with integrity in all that we do and strictly adhere to
our Code of Ethics and corporate governance practices. We seek to
work with suppliers who share our values and expect them to follow
our ethical sourcing requirements.
Environment
We work to make it easy for our customers and associates to make
a difference by offering more sustainable products and services,
operating our business in an environmentally efficient way, and
helping our customers and associates take action to protect the
environment.
Community
We support the communities in which our customers and associates
live and work. We do this by creating jobs (both through direct employment and indirectly through our supply chain),
being a good neighbour, financial giving and in-kind donations.
Diversity
We seek to develop a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities and customers we serve all over the
world by embracing diversity in all its formsâ​​race, gender, thought, and experience. We promote a culture of
inclusion within our workforce and source products and services from diversity suppliers.
President’s Message
Jay Mutschler, President
This year was the first full year of Corporate Express being 100 per cent
owned by Staples Inc., the world’s leading office products company. We are
continuing to transition our local programs to align more closely with the global
company. Our corporate social responsibility initiatives are now brought
together under the banner of Staples Soul — which emphasises our
commitment to delivering social, financial and environmental value. Staples
Soul comprises the four pillars of Ethics, Community, Environment and
Diversity.
We made a number of significant achievements in each of these pillars during
the reporting year:
Ethics: We implemented the Staples Global Ethics Program, which included
training and adoption of the Code of Conduct documents for associates as well
as the Staples Supplier Code of Conduct for all of our own brand suppliers.
Community: We raised US$91,785 to help those affected by the earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand at the
beginning of 2011, as well as supporting more than 75 organisations throughout the year with community giving.
Environment: Every site in New Zealand was certified to ISO 14001. We have made significant progress this year
in developing new environmentally-preferable products including the launch of Staples Carbon Neutral Copy Paper.
Diversity: We were named an ‘ Employer of Choice for Women’ for 2012, by the Equal Opportunity for Women in
the Workplace Agency (EOWA) and we implemented our first Reconciliation Action Plan, which included launching
new products from AIMSC Certified Indigenous-owned suppliers.
Engaging with our stakeholders is an important way in which we can better understand what is expected from us in
our sustainability and business performance. We continued to work on those issues identified in 2010 as most
important by our stakeholders. This included making progress in ethical sourcing and sustainable procurement, ecoconscious products and services, product quality and customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, and customer
engagement on sustainability and packaging.
This report outlines our progress against these initiatives and I would like to highlight some key achievements:
Ethical sourcing: We took our ethical sourcing program one step further for our Staples own brand products and
have adopted the Staples Supplier Code of Conduct in addition to our Ethical Sourcing Policy.
Product quality: We’ve expanded our product quality program for our Staples own brand products to encompass
product testing, factory audits and social accountability audits. These three critical components ensure we have
consistent products, comply with regulations, ensure safety, and protect our reputation.
Sustainable procurement: we introduced a Corporate Social Responsibility Supplier Award to recognise the
excellence of our suppliers. This award aims to encourage all our suppliers to continuously improve their
performance in sustainability.
Eco-conscious products and services: we increased the number of EarthSaver environmentally-preferable
products from 3,636 in 2011 to more than 4,000 as of January 2012 including the development of more than 250
products from our exclusive line of eco-conscious products — Sustainable Earth by Staples.
You can read more about how we have performed against the targets we set for 2011 in the targets section. In this
section you can see we have performed well against the targets we set but there are a few areas where we still
have work to do. In particular, we will continue to further embed our recycling initiatives and educate our suppliers
on more sustainable product offerings. You can also read about the targets we have set for 2011.
Our corporate objectives to maintain profitable growth and develop our people are closely linked to how we manage
our sustainability performance. For example, our industry-leading position on sustainability helps us to drive sales
and we invest in our people to develop a high performance culture. We are proud of our achievements in
sustainability to date, and commit to delivering continuous improvement in our initiatives and measuring and
reporting our impacts over the next twelve months.
I would like to thank our associates, customers and suppliers for their support and dedication in making this
business a success.
Yours sincerely,
Jay Mutschler
President
Australia / New Zealand
Watch Video
Our commitment to social responsibility.
00:00
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Learn more about Corporate Express' efforts and what we're doing to become a leader in business ethics,
environmental sustainability, community engagement and diversity.
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We are focused on delivering strong financial results. We are also committed
to delivering social and environmental value by providing an inclusive
workplace, operating with the highest levels of integrity, strengthening
communities and protecting the environment. To fulfill these promises, we
strive to understand and respond to the needs and concerns of our
associates, customers, suppliers and communities.
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About our Company
Corporate Express Australia Pty Limited is a leading supplier of Office Products, IT Solutions, Business Furniture,
Promotional Marketing, Print Management, Facility Supplies, Canteen & Catering and Education Essentials. Our
product range includes manufacturer brands as well as our private label brands. We aim to provide a single source
offering that makes it simple and cost effective for businesses to purchase products for the office.
In 2010 we became 100 per cent owned by Staples, Inc., the world’s largest office products company with
operations in 26 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. This change in
ownership means we are no longer listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.
We operate from 37 sites throughout Australia and New Zealand. Our head office is located in Mascot, New South
Wales, and office, warehouse and distribution centres are located in various sites throughout every state and
territory.
Our wholly-owned subsidiary companies include Corporate Express New Zealand, The Educational Experience Pty
Limited (trading as Educational Experience) and CEI Pty Limited (trading as Raeco). The sustainability performance
data on this site includes information from our subsidiaries unless otherwise stated.
Customer Service and Quality
We strive to provide superior value to our customers through a combination of
competitive prices, an extensive selection of products including environmentally
preferable choices, high quality and innovative products, easy-to-use websites,
reliable delivery and excellent customer service.
Customer Satisfaction Surveys were commenced in late 2011 in line with the
Staples’ global approach and we are reviewing results regularly to improve our
customer experience. As a result of the feedback we obtained from this survey,
we have improved customers’ visibility of their orders. We will continue to act on
customer feedback and suggestions to better assist our customers.
Quality Assurance
We have a strong focus and commitment to quality assurance and
are proud to have an internationally-recognised quality management
system in place. All of our sites are currently certified to the AS/NZ
ISO 9001:2008 standard.
Our quality commitment penetrates every aspect of our business
from customer support to account management to our distribution
centre. Our approach to quality assurance is to offer the most consistent possible service to our customers whilst
allowing our associates the greatest degree of flexibility in meeting the needs of our customers. By having an
effective quality assurance system in place, we are able to enhance customer satisfaction by meeting customer
needs.
Product Standards
We continuously maintain and improve our product standards through independent product testing by Bureau
Veritas. Our product Quality Program has three critical components that ensure we have consistent products,
comply with regulations, ensure safety, and protect our reputation.
Product testing ensures each product that carried our Staples brand name must pass key third party tested
metrics to carry the brand name.
Factory audits ensure all suppliers of Staples’ branded products are capable of meeting Staples’ standards for
manufacturing and quality assurance.
Social accountability audits ensure all suppliers of Staples’ branded products are capable of meeting Staples’
standards of social compliance.
All Own Brand products are tested by independent third party labs to ensure they are safe and meet consumer
expectations. Each product is tested using a protocol that establishes the leading selling nation brand’s
performance levels, which become the benchmark for all Staples branded products. In addition, Staples protocols
include safety and regulatory checks using the highest government and industry standards and covers local
regulatory requirements. Any products found not meeting the protocol standards must undergo a corrective action
process and pass retesting, before they are approved for production and released to market.
To produce Staples® brand products, we partner only with factories that agree to our Ethical Sourcing Policy and
Staples Code of Conduct that covers standards for cost and quality on the one hand and labour rights, safety and
environmental standards on the other. These requirements serve as the basis for our Social Accountability and
Factory Certification Audit programs we undertake at supplier sites.
Recognition/Awards
Our sustainability achievement and initiatives were recognised with the following
awards in the reporting period:
We received an Australian Business Award for Environmental
Sustainability in 2011. We received this for our sustainability programs,
specifically the ones that make it easier for our customers to take steps to go
green in their own workplaces, such as our EarthSaver environmentally
preferable product classification, the Go Green Guide, Simple Steps monthly
educational e–newsletter and the GreenBizCheck environmental program.
We were named an Employer of Choice for Women again for 2012 by the
EOWA (Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency).
We were selected as a finalist at the EOWA 2011 Business Achievement
Awards for our Business Woman of the Year program, Flexible Work
Guidelines, Maternity Leave Policy and Women in Leadership targets,
programs and initiatives.
We were awarded the Deloitte Australian HR Champion (CEO) award for our
CEO’s work championing Human Resources programs (HR). Programs
included a leadership development program, launching new company values,
increased engagement scores, and diversity programs such as Business
Woman of the Year and the company’s Reconciliation Action Plan.
ACCSR ‘CSR Top 20’ – The Australian Centre for Corporate Social
Responsibility (ACCSR) named Corporate Express one of the top 20 Australian
organisations for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Their recently–
published State of CSR Annual Review: 2010–2011 is a survey of almost 500
CSR practitioners across a broad spectrum of Australian industry sectors. The
ACCSR research identified the ‘CSR Top 20’ – the organisations in various
industry sectors with the most advanced CSR capabilities.
To find out more about our sustainability recognition click here.
Our global company is listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (for the seventh consecutive year). In 2010,
Corporate Express were ranked number two among retailers in the Newsweek ‘Green Rankings’, which ranks the
environmental efforts of the largest 500 companies in the United States; and ranked number 60 by Corporate
Responsibility Officer (CRO) Top 100 companies; we also received 100 percent (a perfect score) on the Human
Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index.
Sustainability Lifecycle
Considering sustainability at all stages.
We implement sustainability considerations at all stages of our business operations – from sourcing the initial
products to disposal of packaging. Central to this, are our people who drive these actions, along with other
stakeholders who help inform our sustainability approach at all stages of the lifecycle.
Our Community
Procurement
We partnered with organisations that align with
We put processes in place to align our Ethical
the Staples Foundation for Learning® mission.
Sourcing Policy and supplier compliance
process with Staples’ global systems and
We gave US$91,785 to help those affected by
the earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand
at the beginning of 2011.
We participated in Staples Foundation for
Learning® “Choose a Charity” program which
provides grant money to associate–chosen
charities.
Supplier Code of Conduct.
We implimented our Reconciliation Action Plan
(RAP) to help address the social and economic
disadvantage faced by the Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander peoples. As part of our
RAP we are working with Australian Indigenous
Minority Supplier Council (AIMSC)-certified
suppliers to source our own products and
services, as well as making these products
available to our customers.
Our People
The percentage of women on our Executive
Leadership Team (ELT) is now 44 percent, with
4 of our 9 members of the team being women.
We reduced our Lost Time Incident Frequency
Rate (the number of lost time injuries per million
hours worked) from 6.7 in 2010 to 6.4 in 2011.
Our Operations
We maintained our Environmental Management
System (EMS) certification for our Australian
sites, and extended certification to all our New
Zealand sites. Our EMS helps us identify and
minimise our impacts on the environment and
helps to ensure consistent environmental
performance across all our sites.
Our Customers
We increased our EarthSaver products from 640
in 2008 to more than 4,000 as of January 2012.
We raised awareness of sustainability issues
through customer events in Australia and New
Zealand.
We have virtualised our IT infrastructure from 96
to 98 per cent with initiatives including removing
two physical servers which could then replace
lower efficiency equipment in another business
group.
Transport and Packaging
We continue to develop our understanding of
the impacts associated with our operational
transportation, and use our Sustainable
Transport Strategy to manage identified
impacts.
We continued to work on reducing our
packaging in line with our commitments set out
in our Australian Packaging Covenant Action
Plan.
Stakeholder Engagement
Building relationships every day.
Nothing is more important to us than the relationships we build
as a company and as associates. We have defined our primary
stakeholders (based on their level of influence and impact on
our organisation) as: customers, associates, suppliers and
community members. We engage with our stakeholders in
many ways, from informal contact to more formal means such
as supplier reviews. The different ways we engage with each
stakeholder group are listed below.
Customers
To stay in touch with our customers we hold regular face-to-face meetings and hold events such as our CSR
breakfasts. Our catalogues, marketing materials and our e-commerce site NetXpress are other ways we
communicate with our customers.
Associates
We engage with and support associates in many ways beyond their daily interactions with their colleagues and
managers:
Print, online and broadcast communications reinforce our core goals and values and encourage associates to
contribute to our ongoing success.
Learning and development programs help associates develop their jobs skills and expertise.
Employee surveys reveal what our associates think we do well and where we can do better.
Suppliers
Our Ethical Sourcing Policy and Staples Supplier Code of Conduct requires our suppliers to adhere to all applicable
environmental laws, as well as health, safety and labour standards. We engage with our suppliers to make sure
they understand the provisions of the Ethical Sourcing Policy.
We also work closely with our key suppliers to identify opportunities to increase the financial and environmental
efficiencies of our collective operations. These efficiencies include reducing packaging, improving packing space
utilisation, reducing transport distance and improving transport efficiency.
We also worked closely with Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Council (AIMSC) Certified suppliers both for
our own procurement and to develop the range of products from AIMSC Certified suppliers for our customers.
Communities
We seek to be a valued and trusted member of the communities in which our associates and customers live and
work. We work closely with the not-for-profit organisations we support, whether it is a national corporate partner
such as Landcare Australia or whether it is one of the small grassroots groups receiving Staples Foundation for
Learning® funds.
Stakeholder Questionnaire
We engaged a third party to conduct a stakeholder questionnaire in 2010 to obtain feedback on stakeholders’ views
of our sustainability performance and sustainability report. More than 400 stakeholders participated in the survey,
including associates, customers, suppliers, sustainability professionals and community stakeholders. The key
findings were that:
The majority of stakeholders felt that we perform better than other Australian and New Zealand companies on
sustainability.
The sections of most interest to stakeholders were the environment section, the workplace section and the
dashboard of our key performance indicators on sustainability.
The preferred format for the sustainability report was either as an online report or as a pdf – as a result we
have developed this online site.
Stakeholders also made suggestions on how we can improve our reporting. These included:
Linking the references in the Global Reporting Initiative Index to the relevant pages of the online report
Incorporating more case studies in the report
Improving the readability and design of the report.
We have incorporated these recommendations in the development of this report.
Associate Engagement
CSR eLearning Modules
We launched two new tools in 2010 for associates to learn about corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the role
they can play:
The Introduction to Corporate Social Responsibility module consists of
seven sections – What is corporate responsibility, Working with
integrity, Environmental protection, Taking responsibility for products
and services, Upholding human rights and labour standards, Building
communities, and Information and resources.
CSR at Corporate Express takes associates through our CSR program
and outlines the initiatives we have in place for each of the four pillars.
Creating a great place to work.
We rely on the talents, strengths and commitment of our associates to deliver on our corporate goal to build a worldclass selling organisation. We know they perform best when they are clear on our goals and understand how they
can contribute. We believe our culture and practices reflect these values.
At the same time, we know there is always room for improvement. To help us gain a comprehensive understanding
of how well our associates are engaged — and more importantly, what opportunities we have to drive further
engagement — Staples launched a global Associate Engagement Survey in 2010.
Associate Engagement Survey
The Staples Global Associate Engagement Survey undertaken
in 2010 showed how our communication and training efforts
have enabled good engagement with our associates. In
September 2011, Staples carried out a short global
engagement pulse survey to gauge engagement levels
following the original survey.
The survey found that our associates are willing to put in extra
effort to meet the company’s goals and conveyed a high level of
understanding and awareness of Staples Soul initiatives and
the company’s corporate responsibility.
The survey also helped us to identify further opportunities for improvement. For example, associates feeling
comfortable speaking up when they disagreed with a decision and being confident that our top leadership will keep
the company competing successfully. Our national focus for associate engagement in 2012 will be emphasising the
importance of embracing and living our values, and attracting and retaining great talent by investing in their
development.
Learning and Development
We support our associates by investing in developing and retaining great people. Our aim is for our people to grow
within the company and develop their careers with us.
Our in-house training curriculum delivered through our Organisational Development Team includes programs on
management, leadership, sales, communication, personality type and customer service. This year we also
introduced a leading change and Train the Trainer program to support implementation of a new ERP system, a
Sales Induction program and formal Ethics training. Training hours undertaken by the different functions are detailed
in the table below.
In 2011, we increased the amount of training hours from 21,063 hours in 2010 to 25,094 hours. The increase was
primarily due to training for the implementation of SAP in Australia. Specific Personnel Development decreased in
2011 to allow for operationally focussed training in SAP and business processes.
The increase in the amount of training in 2011 was due to:
Formal SAP training provided to associates
Improved reporting of training in areas such such as Environmental Management Systems.
Introduction of a Sales Induction program
Leadership Development Program
We believe everyone deserves a great leader and that great
leaders are the best way for us to continue to grow and
manage our business effectively. Building on our work in
developing a range of competencies for managers at all levels
in 2009, in 2010 we launched our Leadership Development
Program. Around 100 of our senior leaders attended the
program which provides a framework for managers to create
the environment where people can succeed. Participants
received coaching based on a LifeStyles inventory which
provides insights into how they can enhance their individual
effectiveness as leaders. We will continue to build on this work
by extending the program to an additional 30 leaders in our
business in 2012.
Other leadership training we will be developing in 2012 includes:
leadership workshops throughout 2012. We have successfully piloted the concept in Victoria and Queensland.
launching a New Management Program, taking new managers through the life cycle of managing an employee
and gives them both insights and tools to manage effectively.
Peak Personal Performance
In 2011 we certified our human resource managers to deliver
Peak Personal Performance training to our associates. The
program helps associates manage their time and wellbeing
more effectively. We live in a demanding world, and this
program helps to boost energy and maximise capacity. Once
our people are certified they will start delivering the training
across the organisation.
Sales Training
Consistently achieving sales growth is central to our strategy.
To do this, we need to give our sales teams the tools they need to continue to develop. In 2010 we therefore
introduced The CE Way, a customised Sales Training program designed to equip our sales team with the
knowledge and techniques they need.
A total of 442 sales associates participated in the two-day
course, which constitutes 98 per cent of the sales force.
In 2012 we will be rolling out an additional two-day Sales
Training program for existing sales associates as well as a
one-week Sales Induction program for all new sales
associates.
Labour Relations Practices
In an effort to ensure that our Labour Relations practices remain
contemporary and progressive, we developed a formal policy and
procedure forum within our Human Resources function. The HR
Policy and Process Forum meets monthly with the mission to
“maintain best practice HR Policies and easy HR Processes for the
business.”
Our Employee Relations policy sets the context for building and
maintaining positive relationships with our associates. This will
help improve associate engagement, company culture, workplace
safety, and minimise loss of productivity due to unnecessary
workplace conflict.
We had two Enterprise Agreements expire during the reporting period and undertook open negotiations with
associates and the union. Although we had a period of industrial action at our Erskine Park site, both agreements
were finalised by yearÕs end to the mutual satisfaction of all parties.
The responsibility for Human Resources policy sits with a lead HR Manager who reports to the Vice President of
Human Resources. Human Resources is also represented on Corporate ExpressÕ Business Process Forum which
ratifies key business process decisions while taking into consideration the perspective/impact on other areas of the
business. The forum reviews the business processes and approves/rejects changes to maintain integrity across our
business.
Flexible Work Guidelines
In response to associate requests for changes to our flexible work arrangements, in July 2010 we launched our new
Flexible Work Guidelines to help eligible employees balance the challenging demands of work and personal life
while contributing to improved productivity and job satisfaction. The new Guidelines incorporate an extensive range
of flexible work, working time, and leave options available to our associates. On-going education and reporting is
being included in the Associate Diversity CouncilÕs 2012 Reporting Plan.
Maternity Leave
Australia
In 2010 the Australian Government announced changes to paid parental leave arrangements to be effective in
January 2011. As a result, we decided to extend our paid maternity scheme in Australia.
Our maternity leave provisions currently far exceeds the government scheme, which legislates for 18 weeks of paid
leave at $AU589.40 per week. The helps us remain a market leader in our commitment to diversity and builds on
our Associate Diversity Council and Diversity at Work initiatives.
Special Disaster Leave
We strive to be a compassionate and progressive employer of choice and to be flexible to the needs of both staff
and the operational requirements of the company.
We responded quickly to the natural disaster events in Queensland and Christchurch in late 2010/early 2011 by
making changes to our leave policy to incorporate Special Disaster Leave, enabling associates to concentrate on
getting through the disaster. The changes aimed to give staff comfort that they would be on full pay during this
period until they were able to return. We also ensured our associates were aware of the free access to external
professional counselling services that we provide to our associates and their families.
Community Service Leave
We support associates who are members of registered emergency management/volunteer organisations by
providing up to three days paid leave for associates to participate in volunteer duties dealing with an emergency
caused by a natural disaster. We also provide unpaid leave for associates to participate in volunteer duties in
accordance with the Fair Work Act.
Health and Safety
Ensuring health and safety.
Ensuring the health and safety of our associates is a core focus for the business. We have Occupational Health and
Safety (OHS) plans which are updated yearly and contain targets and actions for the year.
In 2010, our OHS plan included 65 action points, all of which were completed by December 20th 2011.
During the year we are transforming our OHS system in a Work, Health and Safety system in-line with the new
legislative requirements in Australia.
Managing OHS
We have a tailor-made occupational health and safety management system called “Safety Shop” which uses the
principles of OHS management standards AS/NS 4801/4804 and e-learning modules on safety. It also includes a
corporate risk register to identify risks and hazards and a company-wide reporting scheme. “Safety Shop” was rolled
out in New Zealand in 2010 and internal safety audits were conducted
in the five major New Zealand sites.
Our collective agreements include a health and safety section which
covers aspects such as driver safety, manual handling and fatigue
management. In addition, we have mandatory e-learning modules for
manual handling, induction and risk management. This training is
completed by all associates on an annual basis. Teams also hold
toolbox talks where they discuss safety and learn about the latest OHS
updates.
Employee Assistance Program
We have an Employee Assistance Program and a Manager Assist Program which give associates, and their
immediate families, professional, confidential counselling service free of charge. The service is provided by an
independent company.
We also work in partnership with private health insurance providers in Australia and New Zealand to offer our
employees discounted health insurance.
Positive Performance Measures
This year we have been developing a program to place increasing emphasis on leading indicators or Positive
Performance Measures (PPMs), rather than focusing on lagging indicators such as Lost Time Injury Frequency
Rate (LTIFR). In 2012 we will determine the specific measures to be used, which will be tracked using Credit 360, a
Staples software program. The benefits of positive performance measures in occupational health and safety are:
Increased OHS activity and an improved health and safety culture that is encouraged by management and
supported by the workforce
Efficient implementation of preventative action items which creates a new found interest and raised awareness
in OHS
Health and safety requirements being discussed by all levels of the workforce allowing for greater participation
in OHS reviews
Improved processes and increasing OHS activity that results in achievement of set goals
Integrating Our Quality, Environment, and Safety Systems
In 2012 we will develop and implement an Integrated Management System (IMS) to govern the areas of Health and
Safety, Environmental Management and Quality Assurance. The IMS will allow us to simplify our current use of
multiple management systems and optimise the use of our resources for maximum efficiencies. Some of the
benefits of an IMS include:
Provides a robust and rigorous system to reduce business risk and prioritise key issues
Provides a focused systematic tool to help achieve business objectives
Reduces duplication in processes and documentation while improving quality
Improves clarity of regulatory obligations and compliance
Greater consistency in the provision of products and services
Increased operational efficiency and productivity (cost savings)
Reduction in the amount of resources required to manage and implement the system
Enhanced corporate awareness of system requirements
Encourages associate multi-skilling
OHS Statistics
In 2011, our Lost Time Incident Frequency Rate(LTIFR)[1] (the number of lost time incidents per million hours
worked) fell from 6.7 to 6.4. This was a good achievement and is an outcome of our continual focus on safety
improvements. Whilst this was a good performance we were still unable to meet the target we had set which was to
reduce the LTIFR to a maximum of 6.1. We are going through a significant period of change with our safety systems
in 2012 so given this our LTIFR target for 2012 is 6.4 or less. The Incidence Rate [3] dropped from 0.11 in 2010 to
0.10 which was also a good result.
[1] LTIFR is the number of lost time incidents per million hours worked
[2] An LTI is defined as the loss of a full working shift as a result of a workplace event of injury.
[3] Number of Lost Time Incidents / Number of workers (FTE) x 100
To increase awareness of health and safety in the workplace we hold an annual Safety Week which includes safety
lectures, ergonomic consultations and spot hazard checks and quizzes.
[1] Historically we did not distinguish between hours worked and hours with annual leave. Due to improved reporting
we now have this data. To be consistent with LTIFR comparisons with previous years our data still includes all
hours worked with annual leave inclusions. However, we plan to include only actual hours worked in 2012. The
LTIFR is calculated as a 12 month rolling average.
Kewdale — 1000 free LTI days
This year our Kewdale facility in Western Australia (WA) reached a fantastic milestone of 1000 days free of lost time
injuries, thanks to the hard work and great safety initiatives of our people. The Kewdale 14,000 sqm facility provides
pick/pack and next day delivery services to WA clients and stores of approximately 15,000 product lines. The 85 staff
working at the site pick up to 10,000 lines for the fleet of contractor drivers to deliver up to 5,000 cartons to customers
throughout WA each day. There are a range of health and safety risks to staff in achieving this, as they are operating
mobile equipment, working around heavy vehicles, and manually picking and packing products.
With an aim of making everyone feeling safe at work and creating a positive safety culture, the team at Kewdale, set
about putting initiatives in place to build a behaviour of pro-active reporting of potential hazards of all sizes, and gave
the responsibility for workplace safety to all staff.
Initiatives that were used to help reach the milestone included a comprehensive and regularly reviewed site safety
plan, a quick reference site safety and environment guide, and a fun-filled ‘safety week’ to help develop the safety
culture and reinforce the focus on behavioural safety and training initiatives. A well trained safety committee
coordinates collaborations across all areas of the business, in particular sharing best practice and undertaking risk
assessments. The committee also present monthly at town hall meetings on hot topics, demonstrating examples of
best practice, and organising key speakers to maintain high interest and knowledge sharing.
“Thank you to everyone in Kewdale for your input on this remarkable achievement. It has been a long journey
requiring an enormous amount of hard work and commitment from all areas of the business. Let’s remain vigilant in
our endeavours to maintain the momentum and not become complacent. Next target is 2000 days!!” Cameron
Davis, WA Operations Manager
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Promoting a strong culture and minimising ethics and compliance risks are
top priorities for us. We empower and hold accountable every individual in
the company by setting clear standards, educating associates about the
right way to do business, and making sure that the company responds
appropriately when ethical questions or concerns arise.
Ensuring Sound Governance
Many ways to reach out.
In 2010 we became 100 per cent owned by Staples, Inc. The
company's highest governance body is the Staples Board of
Directors. The Board recognises that a genuine commitment to
sound principles of corporate governance is fundamental to our
ongoing viability.
About Staples Board of Directors
Composition: Twelve members, including Chairman and CEO Ronald Sargent; three women, two Asian Americans
and one African American. To view the current Board of Directors click here.
Terms: Elected annually for a term of office to expire at the next annual shareholders meeting (subject to the
election and qualification of their successors).
Committees: Audit, Nominating and Corporate Governance, Compensation, Finance and Executive.
Independence: Other than the chairman, all board members are independent, including all members of the Audit,
Compensation, Finance, and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees. The only compensation they
receive is for service on the board and its committees; no independent consulting fees or other payments are
allowed.
Leadership structure: Every year, the board evaluates its leadership structure and, based on a recommendation
from the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, determines whether there should be an independent
chairperson of the board or an independent lead director. There is currently a combined CEO-Chairman and an
independent lead director.
To learn more about our current corporate governance principles and review our Corporate Governance Guidelines,
committee charters, Corporate Political Contributions Policy Statement and other significant policies, please visit
Staples’ Corporate Governance web page.
Executive Leadership Team
The Executive Leadership Team has ultimate governance for sustainability issues for Corporate Express Australia
Pty Limited. The ELT provides strategic direction and guidance for our CSR program and makes recommendations
to the Staples Soul owners (please see below).
Ethical Conduct
Strong ethics at work.
TeamCARE
We continued to live our TeamCARE values in 2011:
Customer: Everything begins and ends with our customers
Associates: We value and count on each member of our diverse and talented team
Results: Every one of us is personally accountable for delivering results
Easy: We succeed by staying focused and keeping it simple.
We conduct a business ethics program called “Law of the Jungle.”
The web-based training aims to increase associates’ awareness
and understanding about competition laws, anti-corruption, fair
trading and workplace rights and wrongs. All associates are
required to undertake this training.
The legal department also provides training on adherence to laws
and standards related to marketing communications such as the
Competition and Consumer Act. Green marketing training is given
to our marketing and merchandising teams on an annual basis in
Australia.
Expanding our Ethics Programs.
In 2011 we implemented the global company’s ethics programs which include the Staples Code of Ethics, the
Staples Anti-Corruption Policy and the Staples Gifts and Entertainment Guidelines. Face to face training was
provided to discuss the implementation, changes and answer queries.
Code of Ethics
All associates, as well as executives and directors, are expected to
adhere to our Code of Conduct and its mission statement which set
out detailed standards of ethical behaviour expected and required. In
2011, we transitioned to the Staples Code of Ethics which is the code
which applies to Staples’ associates worldwide. The Code of Ethics
explains core expectations regarding honest, fair, responsible
conduct and business practices. It provides guidelines to help
associates deal appropriately with a broad range of issues, ranging
from insider trading to conflicts of interest to customer privacy. The
Code also explains the procedures for asking questions and voicing
concerns, including how such reported violations are handled.
EthicsLink
Associates are actively encouraged to bring any matters of concern
to the attention of management, human resources or internal audit.
This includes activities or behaviour that may not be in accordance
with our Code of Conduct, financial reporting policies, insider trading
policy, other company policies or other regulatory requirements or
laws.
We have the global
company’s ethics
helpline, ‘Staples
EthicsLink’, which
serves as a “24/7
ethics resource”.
Associates can
raise their concerns anonymously, either by phone or through our
EthicsLink website, which is hosted by a third party and
administered by our Global Ethics Office. Our helpline enables
associates to ask for guidance on ethical and compliance issues
and report suspected ethics violations.
Ethical Sourcing
Staples supplier code of conduct.
One of the ways we can help our customers achieve their corporate social
responsibility CSR objectives is by helping them access sustainable
suppliers. We have been working towards this through our Corporate
Express Ethical Sourcing Policy, and will continue to do so as we transition to
the Staples Supplier Code of Conduct.
The Policy and Code both require suppliers to demonstrate a strong CSR
commitment, and cover employment practices, workplace health and safety,
environment and management controls. To view these documents please click here. By requesting our suppliers
subscribe to high standards of ethical conduct, we can positively impact the social, ethical and environmental
performance along our supply chain.
Our Ethical Sourcing Policy forms part of the tendering and contracting terms and conditions with our suppliers.
While the majority of our suppliers are based in Australia, many of them source their products offshore, so our goal
is to continue to build and maintain strong relationships with those sourcing products from low-cost countries who
may not have legislated labour or environmental standards, and influence them in adopting minimum standards.
As a first step to moving all suppliers to the Staples Supplier Code of Conduct, we now require all suppliers of
Staples Own Brand products to sign the Staples Supplier Code of Conduct.
Supplier Audit Process
With the purchase of Corporate Express by Staples, we began planning the transition of our supplier compliance
program to the Staples compliance program. This includes all offshore own-brand suppliers and their
manufacturers. We are currently working through the requirements and will be working with own-brand suppliers to
implement the new approach in 2012. The diagram below shows StaplesÕ factory certification audit and corrective
action process.
*Follow-up audits: These are half-day audits focusing on specific violations areas, typically conducted at 30 – 60
day intervals when a factory has conditionally passed or is on probation, to determine progress against required
corrective action.
**Post-probation audits: Comprehensive re-audits of the factory occurring within six months of the initial violation.
Note: If a factory either refuses to participate or fails to demonstrate progress on implementing corrective action, we
will end our relationship with the factory.
As a first step, we have increased the number of Staples own-brand products sourced through the Staples sourcing
team in China. These products are from manufacturers who have been through the Staples’ stringent ethical and
quality audit processes and are measured on a continuous basis against these requirements. We have transitioned
the Suppliers of Staples Own Brand products to the Staples Supplier Code of Conduct.
CSR Supplier Awards
This year we introduced a new award in – the annual supplier
awards – the ‘Corporate Social Responsibility Excellence’ Award.
The award is in recognition of excellence of a suppliers in
corporate social responsibility – in an area of environmental or
social sustainability. This award is conducted by nomination and
recognises suppliers’ work around:
Reducing packaging
Developing an innovative environmentally preferable product
Supporting supplier diversity
Ethical sourcing stewardship, or
Product initiatives supporting social and community outcomes
The 2011 winner was Australian Office, for their work and support in the development and launch of our new
Staples Carbon Neutral Copy Paper. See our section on Sustainable Paper-based products for more information on
this new product.
The two finalists were:
Softesse – working with Corporate Express to develop the Sustainable Earth by Staples range of facial tissues,
which are made of Bamboo and sugarcane Bagasse
Huhtamaki – for working with an AIMSC Certified supplier to develop the a range of print paper coffee cups
with Indigenous designs
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Staples Soul Home
How We Operate
Ethics and Governance
Community
Community
Community Contributions
How we Give
Supporting Our
Communities
Environment
Diversity
Building relationships every day.
Take Action
Performance
Reporting Approach
Document Library
We strive to make a positive impact in the communities where our
associates live and work. We do this by creating new jobs (both
directly and indirectly through our supply chain), being a good
neighbour, and through financial giving, in-kind donations and
associate volunteering.
Community Contributions
Committed to making change.
We actively engage with charity partners through local programs, as
well as more formal programs that promote goodwill and build
strong community ties. The table below shows our community
contributions over the past four years. From 2010 we began
reporting the breakdown of our community contributions by in-kind
donations and cash donations.
Community Contributions
2010
2011
Value of in-kind donations (AUD)
$12,300
$18,856
Cash donations to charities (AUD)
$133,024 $275,345
Cash donations to other organisations such as
$75,965
$53,139
universities and sports days (AUD)
Total corporate giving (AUD)
$221,289 $347,340
Number of hours volunteered by associates
777
339
Number of organisations supported
34
76
How we Give
Donations, volunteering and more.
In 2011 we implemented a new strategy formalising our approach
to community investment and aligned with our global company’s
Staples Foundation for Learning®.
Our new strategy incorporates the mission of the Staples
Foundation for Learning® to support programs that provide job
skills and/or education for all people, with a special emphasis on
disadvantaged youth. The not-for-profit organisations we partner
with need to be aligned to the Foundation’s mission. More
information is provided on Staples Foundation for Learning® below.
We have developed ‘How we give’ guidelines, to help our communities, associates, and customers to understand
and engage with us in our community giving. For our communities the guidelines explain the types of charities we
support, how to request funding, and opportunities for in-kind donations. Options are outlined for how our
associates can contribute to their local communities, through choosing charities to support, local activities that are
coordinated through a Community Champion, and providing volunteering ideas and time. The guidelines also
provide information for customers’ donations, and sponsorship or advertising requests.
Staples Foundation for Learning®
Staples Foundation for Learning® is the private charitable
arm of Staples, Inc. and an integral component of Staples
Soul, which recognises the connection between long-term
business success and the impact the company has on
associates, communities and the environment. Founded in
2002, the Foundation has contributed to nearly 1,000 global,
national and local charities that provide educational
opportunities and job skills, with a special emphasis on
disadvantaged youth.
In 2010, Staples Foundation for Learning® launched the
Choose a Charity program which enables associates around
the world to nominate their charity of choice through a dedicated website. The charity is assessed by Staples to
determine if grant funds will be given.
Associates in Australia and New Zealand participated in the program and nominated charities to receive a portion of
the grant money.
The following charities were selected in December 2011 to receive US$4,000 each from the Staples Foundation for
Learning® for the positive impact they make in our local communities:
The Foundation for Young Australians – Our Australian associates
choose the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA). FYA believes that
all young people have the courage, imagination and will to shape their
education and create social change. Our donation will help FYA to
provide a national platform of respect and opportunity for the best ideas
and actions that young Australians have to offer.
Cure Kids – Our New Zealand associates choose Cure Kids. Cure Kids
aims to turn research into hope for the children and their families who
live with illness by improving their quality of life, prolonging their life
whilst fulfilling our ultimate goal of finding cures for these illnesses.
We will continue to participate in this program in the future.
Supporting Our Communities
Community Initiatives
Throughout the year, Corporate Express and our associates
participate in community initiatives, and support local communities
through fundraising and volunteering. In addition to specific community
support outlined below, this year, our New Zealand associates raised
funds for Auckland City Mission, and Surf Lifeguards through National
Jandal Day in New Zealand. In Australia, we partnered with not-forprofit organisation Simply Giving to help children in need at Christmas
time. The Simply Giving website allows associates to donate toys to
children through the Smith Family and Mission Australia.
We support a large number of organisations at the local, regional,
national and international level. Some of the organisations we have
supported in the past year include:
SIFE Australia – We are a corporate partner with SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise), a
university-based, free-enterprise organisation that brings together business leaders and
students. We provide funding and guidance to enable the student teams learn, practise,
and teach the principles of free enterprise to improve the standard of living in
communities around Australia.
Landcare Australia – We are a corporate partner of Landcare Australia and are
developing a program for 2012. In March 2012, we launched a $75,000 grants program
to fund environmental projects in schools and community groups across the country.
AIME – We chose AIME, the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience, as our charity
partner for NSW in 2011. AIME provides a dynamic educational program that gives
Indigenous high school students the skills, opportunities, belief and confidence to finish
school at the same rates as their peers. Our 2011 NSW charity golf day benefited AIME
with $17,800.
Schools Spectacular – We sponsored the New South Wales Schools
Spectacular for the second time in 2011. This is the second year of a three-year
partnership. This annual event showcases musical and dance talent from public
schools in NSW and celebrates the teachers who nurture that talent. The event is
presented by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training.
Supporting Disaster Relief Efforts
Following the devastation and personal trauma experienced with
the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake, we matched the
fundraising off our associates as a gesture of support to our
associates in, New Zealand.
Associates around Australia and New Zealand and North America
helped to raise thousands of dollars for those affected by the
Christchurch earthquake. The money was raised through raffles of
products, stock sales to the public, bake sales, morning teas and
sausage sizzles. We matched dollar for every dollar raised by our
associates, giving a total of US$91,785 to the Christchurch
Earthquake Appeal.
Associate Volunteering
We encourage our associates to support not-for-profit organisations through contributions of their resources, time
and talents. This includes activities such as volunteering at Ronald McDonald House Auckland where associates
visit with ingredients and enthusiasm to prepare dinner for families with children in hospital who are staying at the
house.
Leadership Development & Mentoring
As part of our leadership development program, we’ve developed a mentoring framework for our leaders to pass on
their learnings and experiences to future leaders in the community. In 2011, leaders participated in mentoring
programs with:
Ashoka –Our leaders mentor Ashoka’s youth social entrepreneurs around the world.
Ashoka is a global organisation that identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs individuals with innovative and practical ideas for solving social problems.
Lucy Mentoring – Our leaders mentor female university students through Lucy Mentoring,
an innovative leadership program with a primary focus on female university students
studying business and law. Our mentees are studying at the University of Western Sydney.
The program inspires, motivates and educated women about the opportunities available for
employment and leadership in the public and private sectors through establishing
relationships between students and mentors who are working professionals.
In 2012 we will expand our mentoring program to include mentoring opportunities with SIFE
Australia and the Beacon Foundation.
Fitness Fundraisers
In 2011, we joined other countries throughout Staples International by promoting and participating in Fitness
Fundraisers at several locations in Australia. The purpose of a Fitness Fundraiser is to raise money for charity,
while participating in an athletic competition which could be running, walking, cycling, etc.
In 2011 associates participated in events including the Run 4 The Kids, Cerebral Palsy Challenge, Mother’s Day
Classic and the City to Gong Ride.
Fitness Fundraisers support Staples culture and Staples Soul, while also providing associates with an opportunity
for team building and improved health and wellness. Our goal is to expand Fitness Fundraisers in 2012 to allow
more of our associates to participate in these events.
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Ethics and Governance
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Environment
Environment
Sustainable Products
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Sustainability
Environmental Management
Greenhouse Gas
Management
Green IT
Responsible Packaging
Environment
We strive to be a progressive and environmentally-responsible
company, from sourcing environmentally-responsible products for
customers to managing our own environmental impacts. We focus our
efforts where we can have the greatest positive impact:
Sustainable Transport
Sustainable products
Waste Reduction
Engaging customers on sustainability
Associate Initiatives
Sustainable operations
Diversity
Take Action
The Integrated System Manager manages and oversees all environmental issues and reports to the Vice President,
Supply Chain, who reports to our President. The Integrated System Manager also provides updates on
environmental performance to the Executive Leadership Team.
Performance
Reporting Approach
Sustainable Products
Document Library
Sustainable Earth by Staples.
In January 2011 we introduced a new range of EarthSaver–
classified products called Sustainable Earth by Staples™. The
range included remanufactured toner cartridges and
sugarcane–based easel pads, notebooks and pads made from
80 per cent sugarcane waste.
Throughout 2011 we worked to develop a broader range of
Sustainable Earth Brand products, offered Insert, introducing
insert binders and lever arch files, which contain no PVC and
are more than 70% recycled content; facial tissues which are made of sugarcane and bamboo; a desk accessories
range made from 100% recycled material; highlighters and markers which are manufactured using recycled paper,
environmentally friendly polypropylene, and 100% environmentally safe ink; and pencils manufactured using
recycled newsprint.
Sustainable Earth by Staples
Sustainable Earth by Staples is our exclusive line of eco–conscious products
that meets our brand’s high environmental standards. The product line ranges
from writing instruments, binders, desk accessories, notebooks and premium
compatible toners.
EarthSaver
EarthSaver is our internal classification program to quickly identify our environmentally
preferable products whether they are manufactured by us or by another supplier. Our
EarthSaver range includes products such as paper, pads and envelopes, writing instruments
and general stationery, toner cartridges, canteen products, cleaning products and facility
supplies, furniture and IT solutions. For a product to be classified as EarthSaver, the supplier
must meet[1] our ethical sourcing requirements and meet one or more of the following
criteria[2]:
Recycled content — Products that contain at least 20 per cent recycled materials.
End of Life Management — Products that are at least 70 per cent recyclable, biodegradable,
compostable or degradable.
Low Ecological Footprint — Products that are certified as organic and/or biodynamic by the
Australian or New Zealand Organic and Biodynamic Certification body.
Sustainable Source — Products that come from a sustainable source and are certified under
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC),
Australian Forestry Standard (AFS), Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and UTZ certification
schemes.
Energy Conservation/Greenhouse Benefit — Products that use less energy to achieve the same
results as standard comparable products; products that are able to demonstrate clear and
significant energy savings in the manufacturing process or products that are rechargeable, use
renewable energy or are offset.
[1] The EarthSaver program is based on the claims made by the suppliers and Corporate Express
does not audit these claims.
[2] Our New Zealand operations use the same EarthSaver classification criteria but have a different product range.
Growing our Earthsaver Range
Over the past few years we have deepened our
commitment to finding, sourcing and selling
environmentally preferable products. The number of
products in our EarthSaver range in Australia has
grown from 3,600 at the end of 2010, to more than
4,000 products as at January 2012. This increase is
primarily due to more products with environmental
characteristics being available in the marketplace, as
well as new product categories, such as IT products,
which we introduced in 2010. We are also working
with suppliers to identify products that meet
EarthSaver criteria.
Product Innovations
This year we have worked on developing new and
innovative environmentally preferable products which
have been introduced into the range or are now available. Some examples are:
Staples Seating range
In 2010 during discussions with our supplier Chair Solutions about the EXP Green
Seating range, we agreed it was time for a new range that would leapfrog the
competition in all aspects. Together we talked of a range that would be innovative in
its approach and meet the highest level of Green standards under Good
Environmental Choice Australia (GECA), while lowering the cost. Chair Solutions ran
with the brief and not only met all of these requirements, but has continued to drive
additional improvements throughout the year. These have included new labelling on
the product and new packaging. Chair Solutions have assisted with transitioning to
the new Staples branded Office Seating range to an environmentally preferable
range.
Online Ordering
Electronic ordering platforms accounted for 85% of all lines ordered
in Australia and New Zealand, up from 83% in 2010. Our electronic
ordering platforms include our web-based ordering platform
NetXpress, our vendor–managed service Xpress Office, and
integrated electronic orders from customers’ procurement platforms
(B2B orders).
During 2011 a number of initiatives have improved the customer
experience, driving greater use of our online systems. The
introduction of an online Ink & Toner finder, improved information
when adding to order, continued use of online catalogues, and
improved product descriptions have driven some of this increase.
Improved internal processes have led to greater visibility and
improved the cost to serve for Corporate Express. Customer integrations have continued to drive the number of
B2B orders and a reduction in manual processes in the ordering and invoicing processes.
Sustainable Paper-based products
We source and sell millions of tonnes of paper products each year. It is important to us and our customers that
these products not only perform well, but are sourced and manufactured in a sustainable manner.
As a business we do not import copy paper from Indonesia, China or Thailand. The majority of this imported paper
is made from wood which is not third party certified for sustainable forest management.
Our partnership with Australian Paper™ provides customers with an alternative to this. It gives them the opportunity
to buy a range of Australian made white office papers, including recycled content paper, from fibre sourced from
waste streams, plantations and forestry operations which are managed in a sustainable way. Every sheet of
Australian made recycled office paper helps to cut down on waste to landfill. Australian Paper diverts approximately
60,000 tonnes of waste paper from landfill each year through its recycled papers.
Australian Paper is third party certified under the Australian Forestry
Standard (globally recognised by the Program for the Endorsement of
Forest Certification). The company maintains chain of custody
certification through the Forestry Stewardship Council¨ and is the only
local manufacturer of office paper. More than half of Australian Paper’s
total fibre needs are met from plantation wood, recycled pulp and
wastepaper from kerbside collections. The remainder is sourced
through VicForests which is a Victorian Government enterprise
responsible for the sustainable harvest and commercial sale of wood
from state forests. Australian Paper does not use any wood, or sawmill
waste, from old growth forests.
Carbon Neutral A4/A3 copy paper
This year, Corporate Express took a market leading step by making our largest selling product, our own brand A4
copy paper, carbon neutral (link to Carbon Neutral Paper brochure). Now known as Staples Carbon Neutral A4 / A3
Copy Paper, this product is certified under the National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS)1 , an Australian
Government initiative established to provide national consistency and consumer confidence in the voluntary carbon
market2. It is estimated this initiative will reduce or offset around 71,500 tonnes of CO2 each year — the equivalent
of removing over 16 500 cars off the road3.
1. Certified carbon neutral under the NCOS Carbon Neutral Program, administered by Low Carbon Australia
http://www.climatechange.gov.au/government/initiatives/national-carbon-offset-standard.aspx
2. Calculation based on EXP800 & EXP801 sales for the 12 months up until September 2011, Emissions factor drawn from our manufacturer's
Greenhouse Friendly Product Annual Emissions Verification Report to the DCCEE NCOS program verifiers, Low Carbon Australia, May 2011.
3. Assumes 12L/100km/year in a petrol car. Ref: www.environment.gov.au
Our own-brand paper (Staples Carbon Neutral A4 / A3 and Staples 50% Recycled) is manufactured at Australian
Paper’s Maryvale Mill in Gippsland, Victoria, which is one of Australia’s largest integrated pulp and paper making
operations. For more information about Australian Paper’s Responsible Fibre Sourcing and Australian Forestry
Standard (AFS) Sustainable Source Fact Sheet.
Sustainable Earth Facial Tissues range
As part of our Sustainable Earth by Staples offering, we wanted to introduce a new
range of facial tissues within our facility supplies category. Softesse worked with us to
develop a tissue made of a combination of bamboo and sugarcane bagasse. Through
numerous rounds of testing, they produced a product that was both suitably soft and
white in order to meet our customers’ needs and the requirements of Sustainable Earth
brand by Staples.
Paper product facts
Use
Product
Sustainability Credentials
- Quality paper perfect for everyday office
Staples 50%
- Made using 50 per cent post-consumer recycled
use
Recycled
fibre diverted from landfill
Everyday
- Economical value
- AFS & PEFC Certified
Staples Carbon
- AFS, PEFC & NCOS certified
Neutral A4
Staples Carbon
- AFS, PEFC & NCOS certified
Neutral A4
Reflex Ultra
- AFS & PEFC Certified
White
Australian 10%
- Contains 10% post–consumer recycled de–inked
Recycled
pulp diverted from landfill
- AFS & PEFC Certified
Nallawilli Office
- AFS & PEFC Certified
Wares
- AIMSC Certified
- Supports Indigenous economic development
- Counts as supplier diversity spend
Premium
High quality recycled paper suitable for
Reflex Carbon
presentations and professional documents
Neutral Ultra
- AFS, PEFC & NCOS certified
White
Reflex Pure
- Made from an even blend of 50% post–consumer
White Recycled
waste paper and new fibre
- Saves landfill
- AFS & PEFC Certified
Australian 80%
- Contains 80% post–consumer recycled de–inked
Recycled
pulp
Fully recycled paper for those looking for a
Reflex 100%
- Made using 100% post–consumer waste paper, the
complete sustainable option
Recycled
highest of any Australian made office paper
Special Purpose
- Saves landfill
AFS - Australian Forestry Standard
PEFC - Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification
NCOS - National Carbon Offset Standard
For more information on sustainably sourced office paper please click here
Engaging Customers on Sustainability
Helping customers make greener choices.
In 2011 we continued to develop and expand on a range of programs to engage
our customers on sustainability including the GreenBizCheck Assessment and the
Simple Steps Program. 2011 also saw us introduce a new Own Brand product
range - Sustainable Earth by Staples.
GreenBiz Check
Our partnership with the environmental certification program GreenBizCheck continued to
evolve with a number of new successful customer partnerships. We also supported a
number of GreenBizCheck events with attendance and material support through our
suppliers. The check guides our customers on the tangible steps they can implement to
make their business more sustainable. The assessment provides internationally
recognised certification for businesses who reach Bronze, Silver or Gold levels. The selfassessment includes performance on energy, water, waste reduction and recycling,
transportation, supply chain and IT.
Simple Steps Program
We continued the Simple Steps Program, a monthly opt-in electronic newsletter that
looks at different ways to be sustainable in the workplace. Monthly Nine issues were
delivered throughout 2011 and covered topics such as sustainable cleaning, technology
and promotional marketing strategies. The opt-in database size doubled in 2011 and
maintained very strong readership and customer action. The program also includes
information account managers can provide to customers on sustainable product
choices, the certifications that apply to them and easy steps customers can take to improve sustainability. In 2012
our focus will be to further develop the database of engaged customers as well as refreshing our topics and product
areas.
Links to Simple Steps monthly programs: http://www.ce.com.au/whats_new/simplesteps.aspx
Customer CSR Breakfasts
Another way we engage our customers on sustainability is by holding Corporate Social
Responsibility Breakfasts for our customers. Each year we hold these breakfasts for
customers in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide, Perth and Brisbane.
Each breakfast featured guest speakers who shared their experiences on what CSR
means for their respective businesses. We also provided an update on what we are
doing to help our customers meet their sustainability goals including news about the
launch of the Go Green Guide and other sustainability initiatives.
Helping Customers and Suppliers Measure their Sustainability
Impacts in New Zealand
In helping our New Zealand customers and suppliers reduce their
sustainability impacts we continued our work with business membership
organisation the Sustainable Business Network (SBN) in New Zealand in
2011.
SBN developed a self-assessment tool for customers and suppliers to
measure their own sustainability impacts and provides tools to help them
achieve their environmental objectives. We sent this tool to our customers and suppliers to help them assess their
impacts. We also partner with SBN to co-sponsor their National Sustainable Business Network Awards.
For more information refer to http://sustainable.org.nz
[1] SBN has more than 650 business members and seeks to help business succeed through sustainability.
Recycling services
Cart Collect
We encourage our customers to recycle their toner cartridges and help
protect the environment. In June 2010 we launched a new Cartridge
Recycling Program called Cart Collect. Cart Collect is a collection service for
toner cartridges and it also redirects the waste back into the remanufacturing
stream for reuse, or if it cannot be reused then back into the recycling chain.
Customers can order their toner recycling box from us for free. Once the box
is full customers can go to www.cartcollect.com.au to request a collection.
For every box of cartons collected, $2.00 is donated to not-for-profit organisation, Landcare Australia. All donations
to Landcare Australia from Cart Collect go towards funding local environmental projects.
For more information on Cart Collect please click here or to view information on sustainable toner cartridge options
please click here.
Electronic Waste Recycling
PCs and monitors can be a threat to health and to the environment when they are broken apart. The toxic chemicals
inside do not pose a danger when the PC is in normal use, but at the end of its life the PC becomes hazardous
electronic waste. E-waste contains concentrations of lead, mercury and other harmful chemicals that have the
potential to leak into the soil and groundwater if not handled correctly. This is one of the reasons why the disposal of
old IT equipment through landfill can cause long term damage to the environment. Consigning these materials to
landfill also wastes non-renewable resources such as metal, plastic, glass, and precious metals.
Our e-waste disposal solution ensures surplus IT equipment is processed in a way
that maximises the recycling of commodities while avoiding as much consignment to
landfill as possible. As part of our Total Lifecycle Management (TLM)™ process,
when we supply and install new IT assets for our customers, we can decommission
the old ones in a secure and environmentally responsible way. Our program
guarantees that 98% of the asset is diverted from landfill when disassembled, with
various components then sold to specialist recyclers in Australia.
Environmental Management
Reducing operational impacts.
Environmental Management System
We have developed an Environmental Management System (EMS)
which provides a framework for addressing the impacts that our
activities, products and services have on the environment. It
incorporates environmental considerations into our day-to-day
operations and culture. During 2011 we rolled out the Australian EMS to all our New Zealand sites. The New
Zealand sites were included in the 2011 external audit for certification to ISO 14001 which was awarded in February
2012.
Our EMS focuses on managing our environmental impacts in the procurement of products, in our warehouse and
office operations and in the delivery of products to customers. To assist in the implementation of our EMS, we have:
Developed new roles and responsibilities for environmental management: The Integrated System Manager has
overall responsibility for the development, implementation and maintenance of the EMS. There are also
national and local representatives who support the implementation of the EMS.
Ensured that relevant environmental training is provided: The Green Skills Program is an associate training
program focusing on environmental professional development. The goal of the program is to inform and
encourage associates to commit to making meaningful changes to their daily habits. In January 2011 we
introduced an e-learning module on environmental awareness (refer below).
Implemented environmentally-focused operating procedures: These include the development of procedures for
ethical disposal and classified spill response.
Measuring and monitoring our environmental performance is an integral part of our
EMS. This is done through tracking environmental performance indicators such as
carbon emissions, site green targets and consumption and recycling rates.
Our Environmental Policy
Our Environmental Policy outlines our environmental philosophy and commitment and is
the foundation on which our EMS is developed. The policy details our commitments to:
Systems Management
To provide the framework for effective integration of environmental objectives and
targets into our day-to-day operations and management culture, focusing on
continual improvement and compliance with all relevant legal and voluntarily
obligations.
Impact Management
To minimise impacts on the environment which result from our activities, products and services by reducing
and preventing consumption, emissions and polluting incidents.
Engagement
To promote a strong environmental ethic as part of our corporate culture by encouraging and empowering
employee, customer, supplier and shareholder engagement.
Environmental Targets
Our national environmental objectives and targets are established annually and are based on the commitments
outlined in our Environment Policy. They allow us to drive results and effectively communicate our successes both
internally and externally to customers and key stakeholders.
Some of our key targets for 2011 and how we performed against them are outlined in the table below.
2011 Target
How we performed
Retain ISO14001 certification
We maintained our ISO14001 certification.
for Australian supply of
products, operation of
facilities and delivery of
product.
Achieve ISO14001
Our EMS was rolled out to the New Zealand sites in 2011. These sites were included in
certification in New Zealand
the Australian ISO14001 external audit, we obtained certification in February 2012.
for the supply of products,
operation of facilities and
delivery of product.
Improve systems for detailed
Introduction of Credit360 to collect and collate environmental performance data.
data collection to measure
and report on environmental
performance.
Maintain compliance with all
We continue to ensure we are compliant with all our legal and voluntary obligations.
legal and voluntary
obligations.
Develop detailed baseline of
We conducted a detailed review of energy consumption at priority sites to establish a
energy consumption within
baseline to track future progress.
our facilities.
Develop detailed baseline of
We conducted a detailed review of waste production at priority sites to establish a
waste production within our
baseline to track future progress.
facilities.
Maintain and expand, where
We completed the implementation of our Sustainable Transport Strategy and BIS Green
appropriate, existing
IT Strategy. We are continuing to roll out our Sustainable Packaging Program as part of
environmental management
the Australian Packaging Covenant 2011-2016 action plan.
initiatives.
Store, handle and transport
Project Duke continued to determine and apply appropriate processes for the storage,
all hazardous substances
handling and transportation of Hazardous Substances and Dangerous Goods. This is an
and dangerous goods in
on-going program which will be monitored on a monthly basis moving forward.
accordance with best
practice.
Effective stormwater
We made limited progress on mapping of site drains in 2011, so this target will be
management through site
maintained for 2012.
drain mapping.
Promote a strong
We engaged our associates in our GreenXpress Staff Sustainability Program, with great
environmental ethic as part
participation in the specific programs we ran.
of our corporate culture.
Empower associates to
We continued training for associates with environmental responsibilities in 2011. Limited
manage environmental
progress was made on an action identified in 2010 to incorporate environmental KPIs into
impacts as an integral part of
performance plans for associates with environmental responsibilities due to the
their roles.
implementation of SAP in the business. This target will continue to be a focus in 2012.
Annual internal and external
We continue to report our progress through this sustainability reporting, which follows the
reporting on environmental
Global Reporting Initiative. We are also continuing to make sure associates have access
performance progress.
to timely information on our performance through our intranet.
Actively promote and market
Our initiatives for this target are on-going, and include maintaining our EarthSaver
products and services which
classifications and marketing, and including green education material with all marketing
foster and facilitate
plans.
sustainability.
Actively engage with
We are continuing to work with our suppliers to meet the requirements of the Australian
suppliers to improve the
Packaging Covenant.
sustainability of our supply
chain.
Our targets for 2012 include:
Merging our three independent management systems for environmental management, quality assurance and
work, health and safety into a fully certified Integrated Management System across Australia and New Zealand
Reducing energy consumption in key sites
Reducing waste production and increasing recycling in key sites
Introducing an associate environmental volunteering program
Continuing to communicate environmentally preferable products through educational product material, and
including green education and promotion material within all category marketing plans.
Effective storm water management through site drain mapping.
Empower associates to manage environmental impacts as an integral part of their roles.
Environmental case study - Geraldton
The Corporate Express team in Geraldton have made volunteering for environmental causes an annual team event.
Starting in 2008 with a beach clean-up for World Environment Day, the team has now partnered with City of Greater
Geraldton and Northern Agriculture Catchments Council to continue its volunteering activites. Since 2009, the team
has been involved in annual planting programs, for National Tree Day, and planting for foreshore areas. In 2011 the
volunteering team, which included associates and family members, was able to plant 1000 shrubs to help protect
sensitive coastal areas.
The team has found the time spent volunteering boosts team morale, as well as achieving positive outcomes for the
environment. The team sees environmental volunteering as an extension of the focus on the environment in
Corporate Express through the EarthSaver product range.
“Volunteering has become part of what we do in our branch and it is definitely a win win situation, not only for the
environment but for the staff moral and business bottom line as well.” Carolyn Cassidy, Sales Manager, Corporate
Express Geraldton.
Greenhouse Gas Management
Reducing our carbon footprint.
Greenhouse Gas Management
While we are not involved in a carbon-intensive industry, we depend on fossil fuels
and fossil fuel-based electricity to run our business. Looking to the future, we know
there will be impacts on our business due to regulations on greenhouse gas
emissions.
In response to the growing concern about climate change, we have developed a
Greenhouse Gas Inventory Management Plan to account for and report on our
corporate greenhouse gas emissions. The purpose of this plan is to ensure the quality and consistency of our data
and enable us to track our greenhouse gas emissions reductions over time. The plan also ensures our greenhouse
gas accounting is in line with internationally-accepted standards.
To manage our greenhouse gas emissions and in turn, our overall environmental footprint, we continue to:
Maximise energy efficiency in all our facilities
Minimise the amount of waste being sent to landfill by ensuring maximum resource recovery
Limit the extent of business-related air travel as much as possible
Implement our Sustainable Transport Strategy to reduce our fuel consumption and track our kilometres
travelled
Implement our Green IT Strategy to prioritise and reduce our IT-related energy consumption
Subscribe to a large portion of GreenPower at several locations.
Our Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Quantity
Units
Emissions Tonnes CO2
Owned vehicles fuel consumption
72.57
KL
186.16
Leased vehicle fuel consumption
152.88
KL
403.23
11410770.79
kWh
9636.25
Waste to landfill
1855.39
tonnes
2024.23
Transmission and distribution losses
11410770.79
kWh
1508.81
Contract delivery fleet fuel consumption
624.25
KL
1667.43
Staff car allowance fuel consumption
475.25
KL
1084.18
Business flights
5293462.33
KM
1352.08
Scope
Scope 1
Scope 2
Purchased electricity
Scope 3
associated with purchased electricity
Gross Total
17860.37
Offset
Co-generated power abatement
n/a
n/a
346.19
Greenpower
n/a
n/a
242.76
Net Total
17271.42
Intensity Measure
2341
FTE
7.38
We had a nominal decrease in our net emissions from 2010 to 2011 which is a good result. Our total net
greenhouse gas emissions for 2011 were 17, 271 tonnes of CO 2 - equivalent, a slight decrease from 17,333 tonnes
of CO 2 - equivalent in 2010. Overall our largest area of impact continues to be the consumption of electricity which
is responsible for 62% of our emissions. The delivery of product to customers (12%) and waste disposal (11%) are
our next highest areas of impact.
Even though we had a 69% increase in the volume of waste produced (a result of better data capturing) there was
only a 10% increase in emissions associated with waste due to our fantastic recycling efforts throughout the year.
We recycled 71% of all the waste we produced and had a 71% increase in the volume of co-mingled recycling and a
118% increase in the volume of paper recycling from 2010.
We aim to improve on these great recycling results even more in 2012 as we continue to focus on our plastics
recycling and work to decrease the total volume of waste we produce. We will continue to work with our larger sites
to look at waste and energy management initiatives to reduce our environmental impacts.
Emission Calculation Methodology
Emissions were calculated using the operational control approach. The reporting period is for 1 February 2011 to 31
January 2012.
Fuel Consumption, Transport - Conversion from km travel to kl completed using the Australian Greenhouse
Office (AGO) factors and methods workbook December 2006 Table 4. Associated calculation of carbon
emissions completed using the National Greenhouse Accounts (NGA) factors July 2011 Table 4, post 2004
vehicles. New Zealand emissions calculated using the Guidance for Voluntary Corporate Greenhouse Gas
Reporting Data and Method for 2010 Table 2 (petrol default). In calculating consumption data the following was
undertaken:
Staff car allowances were based on 6 weeks log book data and extrapolated for the year period. Average KM travelled
provided by those that submitted log books was applied to all staff with car allowances.
Delivery driver (both directly contracted and owned/leased vehicles) consumption data was based on representative data from
Queensland (2010 data) and Victorian (2011 data) directly contracted driver km travelled information and extrapolated for the
year period. Average KM travelled was applied to all directly contracted drivers and owned and leased delivery vehicle.
Km travelled for leased and owned general corporate vehicles was taken from the delivery driver average and halved.
Emissions associated with our line-haul (road and rail) activities were not calculated in the 2010 fuel
consumption data.
Fuel Consumption, Flights - Corporate Express’ km travel and carbon emission data was provided by third
party supplier FCM travel. Emissions associated with our New Zealand operations and our subsidiaries, Raeco
and Educational Experience, were not included in the total flight data for 2011.
Purchased Electricity - Emissions for our Australian operations were calculated using the NGA July 2011 Table
39 for Scope 2 and Scope 3. New Zealand emissions calculated using the Guidance for Voluntary Corporate
Greenhouse Gas Reporting Data and Method for 2010 calendar year Table 4 (Scope 2) and Table 5 (Scope 3).
Were consumption detail was unavailable an average monthly consumption was calculated and applied.
Waste - New Zealand emissions were calculated using the Guidance for Voluntary Corporate Greenhouse Gas
Reporting Data and Method for 2010 calendar year Table 9 (default values without gas recovery). Emissions
for our Australian operations were calculated using the NGA July 2011 Table 42. In calculating emissions
during the December 2011 and January 2012 period the majority of data was extrapolated due to billing cycles.
Data from Scoresby, Gateshead, Bathurst, Winnellie (59 Coonawarra, general), Shepparton, Alice Springs
(waste master), Ashmore, Maryborough, Karratha, Cardiff and Lismore used 2010 data due to exact data not
being available. Data from Mascot is based on waste audit outcomes from 2011, daily kg rates were
extrapolated over the number of working days (252 days) during 2011.
Offsets - Ashmore 20%, Truganina 25%, Kewdale 25%, Bunbury 25% and Geraldton 25% offset a portion of
their total electricity consumption with greenpower. Erskine Park uses gas co-generation to offset a portion of
their electricity consumption.
Green IT
Implementing green IT initiatives.
Implementing green IT initiatives
Information Technology (IT) is a significant consumer of electricity.
The Green IT agenda is not only about material and energy
efficiency, it is about reducing costs across the operational footprint
of IT and the business.
Green IT is about controlling and managing the material
environmental issues of IT, over which we have varying degrees of
influence and control. The key issues include energy consumption, ewaste, resource consumption, material efficiency and the
environmental performance of the supply chain.
Green IT and sustainability opportunities have been a focus for a number of years now. It is a sign of the maturation
of our development in this area that our long running Green IT Champion program has been concluded as
sustainability objectives are now part of our operational DNA. Green IT is now well integrated into our operations,
and is considered as part of everyday decision making for IT processes.
We have been implementing Green IT initiatives over the past seven years. In 2011 our key initiatives included:
Increasing the virtualisation density of our server platform to 98 per cent, exceeding our goal by 2 per cent.
This initiative included the removal of physical servers that were sent to another business group for reuse. This
represent two wins; firstly the reuse of some physical servers within the business avoiding the purchase of new
servers (re use) and secondly, the removal of the physical servers that weren’t reused represented a net
reduction of overall power usage within the data centre.
Moving from a trial of hibernating our PC fleet overnight to full implementation of the initiative. Through our
awareness campaigns, now over 50% of our associates turn their machines off overnight, with the remaining
machines being hibernated through automotive tools. This has resulted in an annual reduction of CO2eqivalent emissions of 0.34 tonnes per employee from reduced electricity usage.
Extending the removal of CRTs from Northern Territory and New Zealand to include all sites. Corporate
Express Australia is now completely CRT free.
Further increased the operating temperature of our Data Centre by one degree. In comparison to our previous
data centre, the facility runs over 6 degrees warmer. This substantially reduces the energy consumption for the
data centre facility.
Commencing investigation of options to develop a real time energy scorecard. This will allow for future
changes within the data centre facility to be measured in real time for their impact on energy consumption and
the overall impact to the Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) measure of the facility.
Our core storage platform was re-designed onto a more sustainable platform which enabled the removal of
4four separate physical storage arrays.
Revising our capital expenditure and IT procurement process to now cater for an assessment of sustainability
as part of the approval process.
All IT assets are now gold-rated by the green electronics registry EPEAT.
Disposing of our IT equipment responsibly is important to us. We have a national
service agreement with not-for-profit organisation WorkVentures to collect and
recycle or refurbish all obsolete IT equipment. WorkVentures works with people at
risk of social and economic exclusion and offers the refurbished equipment to
disadvantaged communities. In 2010, we gave over 710 PCs, 80 laptops, and 74
printers to WorkVentures.
Our targets for the next 12 months include:
Increasing virtualisation to 100 per cent
Real time PUE rating of the data centre facility
Enhance the reporting visibility of energy consumption outside of the Data Centre
Increasing electronic-based correspondence including digital forms, e-billing, e-invoicing, e-payables, internetbased invoices and quotes.
Continuing our focus on initiatives outside of the Data Centre to improve the overall environmental impact of IT.
Responsible Packaging
Minimising our packaging.
Our environmental programs and initiatives to reduce packaging are
well embedded in our everyday business activities. By minimising
the packaging used for products and shipments and making
packaging materials more sustainable, we are reducing
environmental impacts and saving money on materials and
distribution costs.
One of the ways we seek to minimise waste is by selecting the
correct-sized carton for each order and using the most environmentally economical form of packaging, including
100% recycled content cartons manufactured in Australia from Australian waste.
We are a signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant
(formerly called the National Packaging Covenant) and are
committed to minimising and optimising the packaging we
produce for our private label packaging as well as the
packaging used for our deliveries. To view our APC Action Plan 2011 to 2016 click here. Our main actions on
packaging in 2011 were to:
Remove our plastic air pillow void fill for packaging in New Zealand. We found this was increasing our carton
size and had a tendency for over-use. We support delicate items with Poly bubble, which significantly reduces
our packaging requirements.
Recycle all our re-useable packing in Auckland Distribution Centre for customer orders.
Re-introduce the Customer Take Back Program
Race to the Top Sustainability Strategy
Our focus on sustainable packaging will continue in 2012 and we will be transitioning to align more closely with the
“Race to the Top” sustainability strategy launched in October 2010 by our global company, Staples, Inc. which
focuses on working with suppliers on sustainable packaging.
In the “Race to The Top” sustainability strategy, Staples calls on suppliers to compete not only in terms of product
quality, cost and features, but in finding innovative solutions for product manufacturing, packaging, and distribution
which reduce impacts on the planet. The strategy aims to increase environmental, economic and social
sustainability and remove waste and inefficiency of all types. It includes collaboratively developing sustainability
scorecards for products and packaging. The scorecards will track design innovations and environmental attributes,
driving more accountability throughout the supply chain.
Packaging Take Back Program
We have developed a Packaging Take Back Program to support our environmental commitments, meet our
obligations to the Australian Packaging Covenant, and help our customers be sustainable. We encourage our
customers to recycle all the packaging that they receive with their orders. However, we realise that it can be difficult
for some our customers, particularly when it comes to satchels and air-filled pillows as these are made out of type 4
plastic which are not readily recycled in Australia.
Rather than these materials ending up in landfill, our Packaging Take Back Program allows customers to return
them to us for recycling through our delivery drivers.
Sustainable Transport
Minimising the impacts of operational
transportation.
Sustainable Transport
Our core business relies on transport to deliver products to our
customers. By its very nature, transportation impacts the
environment and as such, we are actively seeking to balance the
commercial needs of our business with our responsibility to protect
the environment.
To help us to do this, we developed a Sustainable Transport Strategy in 2010 to:
Comprehensively understand the impacts associated with our operational transportation
Minimise the impacts of operational transportation while still allowing for full service provision
Support our contracted delivery drivers to be environmentally responsible in their business operations
Continue to maintain and develop partnerships with external stakeholders which promote good environmental
practices
Establish a process for reviewing our operational transportation model and activities to ensure our service
delivery is aligned to our Environment Policy.
Our Transport Profile
Our transport infrastructure includes over 300 directly contracted dedicated drivers who deliver approximately 14
million boxes a year[3]. We have a National Distribution Centre at Erskine Park, Sydney in New South Wales. This
helps us to group deliveries in a central location to maximise capacity and take advantage of consolidated
dispatches. From here products are sent to customers through a number of transportation modes including road, rail
(Sydney to Perth), sea (Sydney to Tasmania) and air (as required). We aim to use rail instead of road transport
wherever possible.
[3] This figure does not include New Zealand.
Minimising our Impacts
Our approach to sustainable transport involves avoiding the need to travel where possible, reducing the distance
travelled and encouraging sustainable practices. A major way we can encourage sustainable practices, for example,
is by using our influence with our transport partners. We are doing this by introducing environmental requirements in
the tender process for our transport partners.
We are working to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions associated with transport by:
Introducing specialist packaging scanners to ensure we select the optimal-sized box for each order to lower
packaging and maximise box fill
Consolidating virtualised warehouses from various lines of business into one to minimise delivery requirements
Working with independent contracted drivers and our transport providers to encourage sustainable practices
Measuring the kilometres travelled by our contracted delivery drivers to gain a better understanding of the
carbon emissions associated with our customer deliveries.
Supporting Contracted Delivery Drivers
We operate using an independent contractor model which
means that most of our branded drivers operate their own
business, own their vans and pay for their fuel. They are
accountable for their own productivity and the majority are
given financial incentives to minimise kilometres travelled. It
is in their best interests to operate sustainably. For example,
drivers switch off their engines when dropping off packages
and plan their deliveries to optimise routes and minimise fuel
consumption.
Driver behaviour is a key area where we are making a
difference. We have established a driver culture which focuses on not only delivering in a safe, friendly and timely
manner, but where environmentally-responsible actions are common practice. Drivers have also undertaken
advanced driver environmental education training and have been issued with spill kits and guidance on their use.
We also work with the drivers to ensure they regularly service and maintain their vehicles to help minimise
emissions.
Performance Measurement
We will measure the performance of our Sustainable Transport Strategy by examining the reduction in transport
carbon intensity over time, reviewing our operational transportation model on an annual basis and implementing
improved processes as required.
Partnering with Sustainable Transport Providers
In In New Zealand, all of our courier parcels are delivered by Freightways, a leading services provider in the
express package, business mail and information management markets. It is important our transport partners are
aligned with our sustainability values. Freightways demonstrates this through its statement of intent which describes
how the company is striving to minimise the environmental impact of its business operations. The company is
undertaking a range of environmental initiatives including:
Measuring its carbon emissions and its progress towards reducing and minimising emissions associated with
the provision of its services The company’s vehicle fleet is not leased for a period over four years to ensure
that it is renewed regularly with current lower emission technology. Freightways is also trialling hybrid vehicles.
Freightways’ hub and spoke network is segmented and reviewed on a continuous basis to ensure the
minimisation of kilometres driven and flown.
Extending its range of recyclable courier satchels.
Working with partners, such as Freightways, means we can contribute to minimising environmental impacts in our
supply chain.
Waste Reduction
Recycling waste.
We encourage our customers to reduce their environmental impacts and to
recycle their waste. We also look to reduce, reuse and recycle in our
operations. We have waste segregation stations in all our facilities to
ensure associates are able to recycle cardboard and paper, plastics, cans
and glass other items.
The table below details our total waste for the reporting period and the
amount and percentage which went to landfill and which was recycled.
LANDFILL tonnes
RECOVERED tonnes
General
General Council
Plastic/Glass/Cans
Cardboard and paper
Other
1,826.02
29.40
393.29
4,231.59
10.29
Total Waste
Total Waste to Landfill
% Waste to
Total Waste
% Waste
(t)
(t)
Landfill
Recovered (t)
Recovered
6490.58
1,855.41
28.59
4,635.16
71.41
Each year we aim to improve on our waste management practices and the data we collect for our waste disposal, in
2011 we made considerably improvements in both areas. Even though we had a 69% increase in the volume of
waste produced (a result of better data capturing) there was only a 10% increase in emissions associated with
waste due to our fantastic recycling efforts throughout the year. We recycled 71% of all the waste we produced and
had a 71% increase in the volume of co-mingled recycling and a 118% increase in the volume of paper recycling
from 2010. We focused as program on the collection on unwanted IT items from all of our sites which resulted in us
recovering 16,115 kgs of IT items for refurbishment or recycling in 2011 compared to only 2,511 in 2010.
We aim to improve on these great recycling results even more in 2012 as we continue to focus on our plastics
recycling and work to decrease the total volume of waste we produce.
Ethical Disposal Procedure
As with most companies, some of our waste is either unsafe or
unethical to dispose of in the general waste stream. We therefore
have developed Ethical Disposal Procedure guidelines which
provide practical guidance on the disposal of waste in a safe and
ethical manner. This includes guidance on the disposal of
batteries, electrical items, fluorescent tubes and products
classified as hazardous materials and/or dangerous goods.
These items are disposed through an authorised hazardous
waste contractor.
@desk Waste Education and Management Program
To manage our office-based waste, we introduced our @desk
Waste Education and Management Program to all our sites in
2010. We provided waste management options across our sites
for “at point of disposal” recycling along with educational and
awareness materials. In our priority sites we replaced
conventional under desk waste bins with bins which make it
easier to recover paper-based products.
‘Say No to Bottled Water’
Building on our “Say No to Bottled Water” campaign implemented
in 2009 to reduce the amount of waste from bottled water
consumption, in 2010 we began replacing bottled water at some
of our locations with filtered water cabinets which use town water.
We introduced 24 of these cabinets in New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and the Northern Territory which
not only helped us to reduce the environmental impact of using plastic water bottles but in 2010 saved us
AU$40,000.
Waste Assessment
We engaged a third party to conduct a
comprehensive waste audit at our National
Distribution Centre at Erskine Park in New South
Wales. The audit identified the following recyclable
materials were separated for recycling:
85% of bulk cardboard
69% of co-mingled materials
89% of shrink wrap
We aim to significantly improve on these figures in
2012, with a view to achieving all recyclable
materials being diverted from landfill. We hope to
make the Erskine Park site a Zero Waste to
Landfill site in 2013.
In 2011 we intended to extend our corporate head
office waste management pilot at Mascot in New
South Wales with a trial of organic waste
collection. We have now decided to move the trial
to New Zealand’s Auckland corporate site in 2012.
Associate Initiatives
Our green culture.
Our GreenXpress program is our internal staff program which encourages
associates to be environmentally-responsible. The program, which covers issues
such as waste, energy and water, is managed by the GreenXpress Committee,
which is made up of volunteers from different parts of the business.
In 2010, we focused on developing the Committee’s knowledge and
understanding of sustainability issues by conducting information sessions with
environmental expert guest speakers.
We launched our GreenSkills Program in 2010 to meet the training requirements of our Environmental Management
System. The goal of the program is to achieve an enduring culture of environmental improvement through the
provision of training and awareness raising that is demonstrated by positive environmental performance. The core
objectives of the GreenSkills Program are:
To provide job specific skills and competence training for associates whose work may have a significant impact
on the environment as a result of their job performance
To provide general EMS awareness training for associates throughout the organisation.
To drive environmental improvements we have introduced environmental performance indicators into the targets of
our supply chain management team and the company’s direct environmental representatives.
We implemented an Associate Environmental Initiative Recognition Program in 2011, which rewarded associates
for coming up with innovative, cost-effective and practical environmental initiatives that make a difference to the
workplace. Some of the winning entries included;
Installation of video conferencing facilities in sites with high flight traffic
Organic waste collection
Carbon offsetting options for associates with car allowances
Energy minimisation awareness programs
Performance recognition boards to celebrate sustainability success stories
Environmental Awareness E-Learning Module
The e-learning module on environmental awareness for associates was
launched in January 2011. The module aims to provide associates with an
overview of our commitment to the environment, information about what we
are doing to manage and minimise our impacts, and practical tips on what
associates can do in their daily activities, both at work and at home. As at
the end of January 2012, 577 associates had completed the module.
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Diversity
We offer an inclusive workplace environment that leverages the
diversity of thought, people, and experience. We adhere to fair labour
practices and standards and foster diversity, providing equal
opportunities and ensuring fair and equitable rewards.
We treat all associates, recruits, customers and suppliers equally,
regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, family status, race,
ethnic or national origin, religious belief, age, disability, or any other
immaterial factor. This is demonstrated in the following key areas:
Culture: We value the differences that a diverse workforce
provides. We wish to eliminate unlawful and unfair
discrimination and foster and celebrate diversity.
Retention and recruitment: We implement programs to
increase the number of women in leadership positions. We focus on talent management and development,
succession planning, and networking. We also ensure equitable compensation, promotion and transfer.
Suppliers: We are increasing awareness of supplier diversity through our partnerships with Indigenous—
owned and women—owned businesses, disability enterprises, and small to medium—sized enterprises
(SMEs).
Our goal is to reflect the diversity of our customers through the diversity of our own workforce, as well as the
hundreds of suppliers and other businesses we work with every day. We consequently strive to enhance and
leverage our workforce diversity and promote diversity among our suppliers.
Diversity: A Business Imperative
Celebrating Diversity
We have 2,266 employees in Australia and New Zealand. The
total workforce by region, employment type and function
(excluding contractors and board members) are shown below. All
Corporate Express Australia Pty Limited permanent and casual
employees are included. These figures do not include employees
from our subsidiaries. We choose to calculate our workforce data
on rolling 12 month data.
We do not formally capture information on minority group
composition in our workforce but we are looking at various
methods of capturing this information in 2012.
Workforce by Gender and Age
Gender
2011
2010
2009
Female
1,048 (46%)
1,094 (47%)
1,087 (48%)
Male
1,218 (54%)
1,249 (53%)
Total
2,266
2,343
Age
2011
2010
2009
<= 25
214 (9%)
288 (12%)
254 (11%)
1,184 (52%)
26-35
745 (33%)
768 (33%)
740 (33%)
2,271
36-45
682 (30%)
674 (29%)
665 (29%)
46-55
442 (20%)
445 (19%)
435 (19%)
> 56
183 (8%)
168 (7%)
177 (8%)
2,266
2,343
2,271
2011
2010
2009
Casual
65
91
82
Fixed term full
45
59
46
3
2
2
2,014
2,049
2,003
139
142
138
2,266
2,343
2,271
Total
Work force by region and employment type.
Region
2011
2010
2009
ACT
18
23
25
NSW
905
941
869
31
43
43
347
369
347
NT
QLD
Employment
Type
time
Fixed term
part time
SA
82
81
96
TAS
94
97
107
VIC
343
344
335
WA
232
214
210
part time
NZ
214
231
239
Total
Permanent full
time
Permanent
Total
2,266
2,343
2,271
Workforce by function
Segment
2011
2010
2009
Corporate
335
365
229
1,000
1,068
1,164
Warehouse
717
683
661
New Zealand [1]
214
227
217
2,266
2,343
2,271
Sales
Grand Total
[1] New Zealand is considered a function by the business in reporting of performance.
Workforce Turnover – By Gender and Age
Gender
2011
2010
Female
317 (47%)
332 (52%)
Male
352 (53%)
Total
669
Age
2011
2010
<= 25
121 (18%)
126 (20%)
312 (48%)
26-35
238 (36%)
238 (37%)
644
36-45
152 (23%)
160 (25%)
46-55
101 (15%)
78 (12%)
57 (9%)
42 (7%)
669
644
> 56
Total
Workforce Turnover by Region
Region
2011 number of
employees
2011 turnover rate
(%)
2010 number of
employees
2010 turnover rate
(%)
9
1
8
1
231
35
181
28
32
5
21
3
114
17
98
15
SA
13
2
26
4
TAS
15
2
19
3
VIC
76
11
115
18
WA
106
16
83
13
NZ
73
11
93
14
ACT
NSW
NT
QLD
Total
669
644
The turnover rate [2] for 2011 increased to 20.71 per cent for Australia and decreased to 24.82 per cent for New
Zealand, compared to 2010 figures which were 18.51 per cent for Australia and 26.12 per cent for New Zealand.
The increase in turnover was a result of a number of challenges which the business experienced during 2011
including the implementation of SAP (master operating system) in Australia, and difficulties which Australian
businesses faced in 2011 following the global financial crisis.
Our aim for 2012 is to reduce turnover by continuing to build on a number of initiatives we have introduced into the
business over the last two years which include:
Our structured leadership development program focusing on creating great leaders in our business
Our formal in-house recruitment team who continue to provide great opportunities for associates to further their
career at the company
The launch of and continuation of our reward and recognition program formally recognising long serving
associates and associates who live our company values.
[2] This excludes casuals but includes permanent and fixed term contractors and has been calculated using a
different system to the one used to calculate the other turnover data. We will report all these figures through SAP in
future.
Associate Diversity Council
A Diverse and Inclusive Environment.
One of the central pillars in Staples Soul is diversity and we aim to offer
a diverse and inclusive environment for our associates as
demonstrated in our culture, retention and recruitment. To assist with
these aims we have established an Associate Diversity Council. The
Council reviews diversity within the business, and where a need is
identified, develops and implements diversity initiatives. The Council is
made up with representatives from throughout the business, and
reports progress towards diversity targets to the Executive Leadership
Team.
Cultural Diversity
We have extended our previous focus on gender diversity to develop initiatives to educate and provide support for
the range of cultures our associates represent. In 2012 we will compile information on the cultural facilities we
currently provide at our sites throughout Australia and New Zealand. These include prayer rooms and culturally
appropriate breast feeding facilities. This information will be published internally to ensure our associates are aware
of the facilities available, and inform the development of new facilities at other sites.
Disability
We are extending our efforts on diversity to ensure there are minimal impediments for people with disabilities in our
workplace. In 2012 we will focus on the following actions:
In 2012 our recruitment team will work with The National Disability Recruitment Coordinator to create a barrier
free recruitment program.
Action plans will be developed with our Property & Facilities Manager and our landlords to investigate
reviewing and upgrading facilities nationally.
We will engage JobAccess to better understand work related modifications we can make to improve our
workplace.
To assist our customers, we will add accessibility information to all physical addresses in our catalogues.
Diversity Calendar
In 2011 an Associate Diversity Calendar was developed to acknowledge, educate, and celebrate diversity in our
business. The calendar focuses on Gender, Disability — Sensory, Disability — Mentally, Disability – Physically,
Reconciliation, Age, and Discrimination.
The calendar included events and activities such as International Women’s Day in March, National Reconciliation
Week in May, NAIDOC week in July, and Hearing Awareness week in August. Further information on National
Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC activities is provided in the section on Reconciliation.
Throughout the year we have published in our weekly company magazine diversity awareness articles and will
continue to build on an education program throughout 2012.
Gender Diversity
Employer of Choice for Women.
We implemented a Gender Diversity Policy in Australia and New Zealand in
2010. The policy applies to all staff and contractors. A diversity scorecard
was also created and we are using the data to measure:
Associates per employment type by gender and age group
Associates per state by gender and age group
Associates per business segment by gender and employment group
Female executives reporting to the CEO
Female employees in the Senior Leadership Group and management generally
Resignation of employees by gender, by age and by employment mode and by business unit
Female employees on maternity leave and when they return to work.
Women in Leadership
We are proud of the efforts we have made to develop and retain female talent in the business. We set ourselves
targets in 2008 for the percentage of females in our senior management team, and report our progress quarterly to
the Executive Leadership Team.
The table below shows how we are performing against our targets.
Leadership Level
Female
%
Male
%
Grand Total
Targets
4
44%
5
56%
9
25% female by 2015
34
36%
60
64%
94
30% female by 2015
166
44%
215
56%
381
45% female by 2015
204
42%
280
58%
484
Executive Leadership
Team
Senior Leadership
Group
Direct Reports to
Senior Leadership
Team*
Grand Total
* Direct Reports to the Senior Leadership Team include both people managers and senior specialists/managers
working as individual contributors within the teams
Business Woman of the Year
One of Corporate Express’ most successful gender diversity
initiatives is our annual Business Woman of the Year program,
which was first launched in 2010. The program aims to address
a historical issue of under-representation of females in
leadership roles through developing women’s professional skills
and raising awareness of their work achievements. The
program has been a great success for all female participants
and has helped lead to an increase of women in leadership
roles.
This is an important initiative for us as while females represent 46 per cent of our workforce, the percentage of
females in leadership roles is smaller. As well as focusing on leadership
development
for allofour
associates,
Business
Women
the
Year we are
conducting initiatives such as this to help address the current
under-representation of females in management.
Associates are invited to nominate a woman in the business
they think deserves to be recognised. For the second year, the
program was a great success and we received 235 nominations
for 111 unique women. From the 111 women, 15 went through
to the finalist program where they were provided with three days
of training on presentation, self-belief, and negotiation skills.
Katia Holland, who is an Account Manager in Newcastle, was
announced the 2011 Business Woman of the Year. Katia
received a tailored training program, was assigned a mentor
from the Executive Leadership team and leads the Business Woman of the Year finalist alumni group. The program
will run again in 2012.
“I see this as a great opportunity to be an ambassador for
women in our business. The training provided in the
development program and on-going is invaluable for my
personal development. The other finalists are all amazing
women who know how to get things done. I look forward to
working with them on making a difference throughout 2012”
Katia Holland, Business Woman of the Year 2011 and ITS
Account Manager, Newcastle, NSW
Corporate Express’ Business Woman of the Year program
was seen as a leading initiative by Staples and in 2011-2012
the program is being expanded to the United States, Canada
and the United Kingdom.
Recognition for our Gender Diversity Initiatives
Our efforts to become an employer of choice for women and to implement workplace diversity
initiatives were recognised through the following awards:
Finalist EOWA Leading Organisation for the Advancement of Women (800 or more
employees)
Our selection as a finalist was due to the significant outcomes we had achieved in advancing
women in Australian workplace.
Employer of Choice for Women
We have been named an Employer of Choice for Women for 2012 by the Equal Opportunity for
Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA). To be named an Employer of Choice for Women, a
business must be a woman-friendly, non-government organisation, with equal opportunity
programs that recognise and advance its female workforce. In our application, we highlighted our
new equal opportunity, gender diversity, and flexible work policies, along with information on our
Business Woman of the Year and Leadership Development programs. We also outlined our
recruitment strategy, which focuses on a fair and transparent process, and promoting the best
person for the job regardless of gender.
Reconciliation
Taking Action Towards Reconciliation.
We want to better understand and support the communities we work in,
including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
To help address the social and economic disadvantage faced by the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples we launched our
Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in November 2010, with the help of
not-for-profit organisation Reconciliation Australia. The RAP cements a
commitment to creating an organisation that is aware of and integrates
knowledge and understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island
peoples and cultures into business practices.
The benefits of a RAP include:
A better understanding of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and customers
Developing a workforce that is more representative of the community in which we operate
A larger labour market resulting from increasing numbers of educated and skilled Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Australians being “job ready”
New industries, products and ways of doing business emerging from joint ventures with Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander organisations.
Click here to view our Reconciliation Action Plan. The Action Plan outlines our progress against our targets for
2011, some of which are further detailed below, and in the section on our Supplier Diversity Program.
Cultural Awareness and Understanding
We launched our first Reconciliation Action Plan in our head office
in Mascot (Sydney), NSW in November 2010 which for some
associates was the first time being engaged in our reconciliation
programs.
During National Reconciliation Week (NRW) 2011 we launched the
Reconciliation Resources section of our Intranet which includes
Corporate Express’ Protocol on Acknowledging Traditional Owners,
a link to Reconciliation Australia’s ‘Share our Pride’ online cultural
awareness tool, and resources for associates to learn more with
books, movies, music or festivals. We also celebrated NRW in
locations around Australia by hosting Reconciliation Teas and
bringing cultural speakers and didgeridoo players in to share their
culture.
Other activities during the year included National Aborigines
and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Week
awareness raising and events, participating in Constitutional
Recognition activities, educating our associates on the
proposed referendum, and putting up signs in every Corporate
Express facility in Australia stating that we acknowledge the
traditional owners of the land and our commitment to
reconciliation.
Employment
In 2011 we started work on our Indigenous employment
strategy. We have implemented reporting for our recruitment
process and collected some diversity information as part of a
company survey in September. The survey was voluntary and
1.34% of our associates who completed the survey identified as
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in different
functions across the business.
Corporate Express has engaged an Indigenous Employment Specialist, LBF Consulting, to assist with developing
an Indigenous Employment Strategy to support the employment program. Our hope is for Corporate Express to
become an ‘Employer of Choice’ for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander talent. This will start with assessing and
negotiating available vacancies suited to place Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander talent, and engaging the
business to ensure vacancies are open to identify a steady stream of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander talent
ready to employ.
The strategy will be launched and implemented in 2012, and will build on existing success by developing a
comprehensive strategy that directly links with our overall RAP plan for 2012. Our Indigenous Employment Strategy
will be developed in consultation with internal and external key stakeholders. The strategy document will detail key
result areas and an action plan.
Partnership
Through our other RAP initiatives, such as supplier diversity,
our aim is to help Indigenous business grow and employ more
Indigenous staff. We also want to ensure there’s a pipeline of
Indigenous talent in the future, which is why our community
programs focus on supporting organisations that provide job
skills and/or education.
At Corporate Express we build our leaders through mentoring
programs and our Leadership Development Program. We’ve
put a lot of work into building the leaders within our company,
and wanted to extend the Development Program to build
leaders in the wider community. In December we invited
Indigenous community leaders to participate in investing in
these community leaders. We encourage this through
participation by our associates in career days or similar events
with organisations such as NASCA and the Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre throughout the year.
In New South Wales, we held a Customer Golf Day to raise
money for the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience
(AIME). Following the golf, Schools Spectacular singer Nathan
Lamont from Wagga Wagga performed for all attendees. It was
an opportunity to engage customers, suppliers and associates
on our reconciliation and community programs.
The Long Journey — Designed by Gilimbaa
Our RAP was designed by AIMSC Certified design agency,
Gilimbaa who produced “The Long Journey” artwork. Gilimbaa
worked closely with us to develop the artwork which illustrates
our reconciliation journey.
The story of The Long Journey begins with a single step in the
right direction leading to change and learning from each other to
create a place of understanding and inspiration.
The circle in the centre of the artwork symbolises Corporate
Express and the circles surrounding it represent our
connections – our employees, their families and friends, our
customers, our suppliers, the community – everyone we work
with, talk to and affect. Riki Salam, the Aboriginal artist from
Gilimbaa who designed the artwork said “The Corporate
Express Artwork is essentially about building relationships.
Relationships between individuals to gain personal knowledge
of one another. Relationships between organisations or Tribes to allow us to be more productive in what we do and
how we do it. And most importantly the relationship between people and their environment or land and how people
belong to that place.”
The long journey
Tribes camp under the night sky,
the coal embers glow silently as
the cool desert air comes to rest.
Awakened by lorikeet and kookaburra, the journey is long.
The sun rises high in the sky.
The billabongs and the rockpools are a welcome relief.
Coming together to trade knowledge of this land,
sacred ceremonies, treasured pieces.
Rested and rejuvenated, the laughter, celebration,
and dancing begins.
Supplier Diversity
Our Commitment to Supplier Diversity.
Our commitment to diversity extends to our suppliers. To
Corporate Express, this means supporting AIMSC Certified
Indigenous-owned and women-owned businesses, ADE certified
Australian Disability Enterprises and small to medium-size
enterprises (SMEs).
We are a founding member of the Australian Government’s Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Council
(AIMSC). AIMSC is a not-for-profit organisation whose purpose is to provide opportunities for small to medium-sized
Indigenous-owned businesses to enter into commercial relationships with large corporate and government entities
over the course of a three-year pilot program.
Indigenous businesses certified with AIMSC are able to showcase their goods and services to corporate members
and may then enter directly into commercial contracts and tender for public contracts offering by supplier council
members.
Supporting AIMSC Certified Suppliers
We procure products and services directly from AIMSC Certified suppliers for our own use. In July 2010 we signed
our first major contract with an AIMSC Certified Indigenous supplier when we appointed Message Stick
Communications as our national telecommunications service provider.
Other AIMSC Certified suppliers we have worked with include Gilimbaa (a graphic design company who designed
our Reconciliation Action Plan artwork), Print Junction and Kalico Catering.
Helping Indigenous Suppliers Distribute their Products
Supplier diversity for us is not just about supporting AIMSC Certified suppliers for our own operations. One of the
biggest impacts we can make on supplier diversity is by offering our customers products from AIMSC Certified
suppliers. This can help reduce customers’ concerns over volumes and continuity of supply. It can also help our
customers to fulfil their own diversity purchasing goals.
In January 2011, we launched a range of AIMSC Certified office products from Nallawilli
Office Wares (NOW) including copy paper, notebooks, envelopes and manila folders. NOW
participated in Corporate Express’ annual product expos where customers can view the new
range of products available. NOW is Corporate Express’ first range of AIMSC certified
suppliers available to our customers through our catalogue, which makes it easy for
Corporate Express customers to support AIMSC certified suppliers through their regular
catalogues and ecommerce site ordering.
In September 2011, we introduced a range of paper coffee cups featuring Indigenous
art designs with educational messages from CorporateConnect.AB, an AIMSC Certified
supplier whose mission is to spread information about this country’s original inhabitants
– Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
We also have an AIMSC Certified printer – Print Junction –
as part of our print management offering. Print Junction is a
family owned and operated business with more than 40
years’ experience in the graphic design and print industry.
Print Junction provides a complete range of services including graphic design, full colour
offset and digital printing, binding and finishing. Its products include business stationery,
brochures, posters, presentation folders, annual reports, magazines, newsletters and
more.
We also offer our customers access to a range of corporate gifts from a range of AIMSC
Certified suppliers including i Sustainable (pictured), Outback Apparel, Thulli Dreaming
(Indigiearth range) and Murra Wolka.
Click here to see our Supplier Diversity product brochure.
Supporting Disability Enterprises, Women-Owned Businesses and
SMEs
In addition to working with Indigenous businesses, our supplier diversity program includes ADE Certified Australian
Disability Enterprises, women-owned businesses and Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises, or SMEs (which we
classify in line with the Australian Bureau of Statistics definition – as a business employing less than 200 people).
We are already working with two ADE organisations. We work with a Sydney-based ADE printer – The Flagstaff
Group – as one of the preferred printers in our print management offering, and we contract with Waverly Industries
in Melbourne, a sheltered workshop, to build our customers’ promotional marketing packs. We can also report back
to our customers how much work they do with ADE organisations.
As there is not currently a certification for women-owned businesses and SMEs, we will be surveying our suppliers
for their diversity ownership in the future.
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Take Action
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Choosing Sustainable
Products
Fair Trade Workplace
Take action — and make a difference!
GreenBizCheck
Performance
We want to help you make a difference for your community and the planet.
Check out the links and tips below and take action today!
Reporting Approach
Document Library
Tell us what you think
We welcome your feedback on this report and on Staples Soul.
Let us know what else you think we should be doing.
Choosing Sustainable Products
Make A Difference.
Our Simple Steps program is a monthly opt-in electronic newsletter
that examines ways to be sustainable in the workplace. You can
register for the newsletter.
Consider the following suggestions and see where you can take
action in your workplace:
1. Ensure your paper comes from a certified sustainable source
and use recycled paper where possible. Look for paper products
with the EarthSaver classification icon on NetXpress.
2. Make sure your printer is set up with energy efficient device
settings. This causes the machine to power down when not in use, which could cut a printer’s electricity use
significantly.
3. Change your printer settings to print double-sided - ask your IT department if you don’t know how.
4. Place a paper recycling bin under each desk and at printing stations throughout the office. Encourage your
staff to recycle all unwanted paper.
Recycle used toner cartridges. Over 5,000 tonnes of used toner cartridges end up in landfill every year. Ask your
Account Manager about Cart Collect, our cartridge recycling program.
Sustainably-sourced Office Paper
Choosing sustainably-sourced office paper needn’t be confusing. We
offer a comprehensive range of sustainably-sourced paper and also
make understanding and selecting the right products for your business
as easy as possible. For more information view the PDF.
Sustainable Printing
Being more sustainable at the office printer is one of the easiest ways
your workplace can make a difference to the environment. Consider the following suggestions and see where you
can take action in your workplace. Sustainable Toner Fact Sheet.
Cart Collect — Toner Cartridges
Up to 3.4 litres of oil is needed to make just one laser print cartridge.
That’s enough to service a small car. Through Cart Collect, our
cartridge recycling partners, we’ll collect, dispose and recycle your
toner cartridges in an environmentally responsible manner. All you
have to do is drop them into the specially marked box when they run
out. Cart Collect will also donate $2 to environmental not-for-profit
organisation Land care Australia for every full box collected.
For more information visit www.cartcollect.com.au, speak to your
Corporate Express Account Manager or call 13 26 44 or read more
about Cart Collect.
Sustainable Canteen
You may not realise it, but the choices you make in the kitchen can
have a big impact on the world we live in. By making the simple
decision to choose sustainable tea and coffee you can make a real
difference not only to the environment but also to those who make your simple pleasure a reality. Read more about
certifications and how to make an informed choice about coffee and tea. Sustainable Canteen Fact Sheet.
Sustainable Storage
Whether you’re looking to clean up your desk or archive important documents, there are a few simple steps you can
take to make your filing and storage more sustainable. Find out more about Sustainable Storage.
Simple Steps to Green IT
Did you know that 2.7% of carbon emissions and 7% of all electricity used in Australia comes from the Information
and Communications sector.* Clearly, that’s a huge impact both on the environment and business’ bottom lines.
The good news is there are simple steps you can take to lower this environmental impact while increasing your
business efficiencies. Find out more about Simple Steps to Green IT.
Sustainable Desk Accessories
When it comes to sustainability in the workplace we tend to think about the bigger things like our consumption of
energy, choice of furniture or the technology we use. And while they’re no doubt important, there are also smaller
things that can make a big difference right down to the desk accessories we choose. Find out more about
Sustainable Desk Accessories.
Sustainable Furniture
From global warming to deforestation, there’s no doubt we face some significant challenges. The good news
however, is there are many things you can do to ensure you make the right decisions in regards to your
environment. Take for example, the choices you make in office furnishings. Read more about Sustainable Furniture.
Sustainable Tissues
As part of our commitment to environmentally preferable products, we’re proud to
introduce our new Sustainable Earth by Staples™ Tissues. They’re chlorine free and
made from bamboo and sugarcane by-product. And since both of these are rapidly
renewable resources, they provide a smart and sustainable alternative to cutting down
trees. Find out more about Sustainable Earth by Staples™ Tissues.
Fair Trade Workplace
Join the Fair Trade Community.
One of the ways you can ensure you are drinking sustainable sourced coffee and
tea in your workplace is to become a Fair Trade Workplace. All you need to do is
educate your employees about fair trade, offer your staff a Fairtrade certified
coffee and tea choice, and you can apply to be a Fair Trade Workplace. There's
even programs for schools, universities and councils! Read more at
www.fta.org.au and see our Fair Trade Fact Sheet.
GreenBizCheck
Getting started on your sustainability journey.
Get a free mini Office Assessment which will give you ideas on how to save money and
source eco-friendly office products.
GreenBizCheck Certification is a world-leading online sustainability program that helps
businesses boost market share, improve their environmental credentials and save
money.
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Performance
Performance
Performance Summary
Targets
Reporting Approach
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Measuring the present.
Looking toward the future.
Tracking our performance is one of our most important functions. It
gives our company and our stakeholders the information and tools
needed to make critical decisions today and tomorrow.
Performance Summary
Key Performance Indicator
2011
2010
2009
$1.1 billion
$1.1 billion
$1.2 billion
2008
How we operate
Total revenue
$1.3
billion
Net profit after tax after one-off costs
$21.4
[1]
million
Total product sales (catalogue)
$57.2
$61.4
million
million
-----[2]
$825.0
$890.1
$800.1
million
million
million
Number of sites in Australia and New Zealand
41
46
52
58
Number of facilities meeting ISO 9001 certification
41
46
52
-----
Number of Lost Time Incidents
-----
32
43
41
Lost Time Incident Frequency Rate
6.4
6.7
9.0
9.3
25,094
21,063
9,050
6,911
14%
14.5%
17%
14%
-----
100%
100%
100%
Associate engagement
Total number of training hours
% of workforce covered by a collective bargaining agreement
% of workforce represented in formal health and safety committees
Ethics and governance
% of costs of goods sourced from preferred suppliers in the top 300
-----
[3]
85.4%
83%
$347,340
$221,289
$180,000
$250,000
76
35
71
-----
-----
suppliers by spend who have signed ethical sourcing policy
Community
Total corporate giving
Number of organisations supported
Environment
Sustainable products
Total sales of products containing post-consumer recycled content
$63.1
$68.1
$67.3
million
million
million
Total sales of products meeting third party environmental
$157.1
$168.3
$122.4
certifications/standards
million
million
million
Total sales of products meeting Earthsaver criteria
$164.5
$175.7
$173.1
million
million
million
3,636
3,636
2,610
600
83%
83%
80%
76%
38,303
[4]
Number of products meeting Earthsaver criteria for sale
% of lines ordered which are carried out electronically
-----
-----
Recycling services
Ink and toner cartridges collected for recycling
Total amount of electronic waste items recycled (kgs)
Approx.
Approx.
250,000
250,000
16,115.5
2,511
3,215
-----
41
41
0
0
17,860.37
19,023
22,990
27,926
11,410,770
10,986,365
12,732,809
-----
242.76
1,690
1,346
-----
-----
14.2 million
17 million
-----
boxes [5]
boxes
12 million
12 million
boxes [6]
boxes
100%
100%
100%
-----
Total amount of waste generated (tonnes)
6,414.92
3,847.76
3,942.47
-----
Total amount of waste sent to landfill or incinerator (tonnes)
1,855.41
1,674.29
1,965.53
-----
Total amount of materials diverted for recycling (tonnes)
4,635.16
2,173.47
1,976.94
-----
Total number of associates
2,266
2,343
2,271
2,464
Number of associates who are men
1,218
1,249
1,184
1,284
Sustainable operations
Environmental management
Number of facilities meeting ISO 14001 certification
Greenhouse gas emissions and energy usage
Gross CO2 emissions (tonnes CO2)
Total electricity use (kWh)
Total purchases of carbon offsets (tCO2e)
Packaging
Number of delivery packages delivered to customers
Number of delivery packages delivered by fleet to customers
% of post-consumer recycled content in shipping packaging
-----
-----
Waste
Diversity
Number of associates who are women
Total incidents of discrimination and actions taken
1,048
1,094
1,087
1,180
0
5 [7]
0
0
[1] Due to our change in ownership we are no longer a publicly-listed company and are no longer required to report
this data. Our financial performance information is reported through Staples International in the Staples, Inc. Annual
Report. Australia and New Zealand financial information is not reported as it is commercially sensitive.
[2] ----- Indicates that we did not collect the data for that year.
[3] We are moving to the Staples Supplier Code of Conduct and will be able to report on this in the future.
[4] We do not have this number for 2010 as we changed to a new cartridge recycling program, Cart Collect and so
do not have a full year of data.
[5] This number does not include New Zealand.
[6] This is an estimated figure.
[7] We received five complaints and we have reviewed all incidents. We are still investigating one incident as this
complaint was received close to the reporting year end. The remaining four have all been resolved and none of
these incidents were subject to legal actions.
Targets
The table below shows the targets we set for 2011 in our previous Sustainability Report (for the year ending 31
January 2012), and how we performed against them.
We are adapting our CSR approach and strategy to align with the global company and the four pillars of Ethics,
Community, Environment and Diversity and have therefore reported on these targets against these key pillars.
What we said we would do
Status
Our Progress
completed
We trained existing associates on Staples Ethics program and its
Ethics
Provide associates with training on the
Staples Ethics Program.
Implement Staples Code of Ethics,
included in the induction process for new associates.
completed
Anti-Corruption Policy, Gifts and
We implemented Staples Ethics program which included
associates signing the Code of Ethics and related documents.
Entertainment Guidelines and Privacy
Information Management Policy.
Introduce Staples EthicsLink
completed
whistleblower hotline to associates.
We now have the global company’s ethics helpline, ‘Staples
EthicsLink’, which serves as a “24/7 ethics resource”. Associates
can raise their concerns anonymously, either by phone or through
our EthicsLink website, which is hosted by a third party and
administered by our Global Ethics Office.
Replace current Ethical Sourcing
completed
We have kept our Ethical Sourcing Policy for our suppliers and
Policy with Staples Supplier Code of
require all own brand suppliers to adhere to the Staples Supplier
Conduct for every supplier contract.
Code of Conduct as well.
Community
Launch Staples community giving
completed
approach.
We have developed ‘How we give’ guidelines, to help our
communities, associates, and customers to understand and
engage with us in our community giving.
Sponsor a team of associates at a
completed
In 2011 associates participated in events including the Run 4 The
fitness event where funds go to a
Kids, Cerebral Palsy Challenge, Mother’s Day Classic and the City
charity.
to Gong Ride.
Develop reporting process to track
associate volunteering hours.
complete
We utilised www.staples25.com to track associate volunteering
hours..
Participate in Choose a Charity
ongoing
program — Staples grant program.
Launch Landcare Australia corporate
We participated in the 2011 Choose A Charity program and will
plan to continue in 2012.
ongoing
partnership
We developed our Landcare partnership — Go Green Grants
which will launch 1st March 2012.
Environment
Retain ISO14001 certification for
completed
We maintained our ISO14001 certification.
completed
Our EMS was rolled out to the New Zealand sites in 2011. These
Australian supply of products,
operation of facilities and delivery of
product.
Achieve ISO14001 certification in New
Zealand for the supply of products,
sites were included in the Australian ISO14001 external audit, and
operation of facilities and delivery of
we expect confirmation of the certification for the New Zealand
product.
sites in March.
Store, handle and transport all
ongoing
Project to determine and apply appropriate processes for
hazardous substances and dangerous
hazardous waste is in the final stages of completion, expected
goods in accordance with best
completion date is April 2012.
practice.
Effective stormwater management
incomplete
through site drain mapping.
Promote a strong environmental ethic
We made limited progress on mapping of site drains in 2011, so
this target will be maintained for 2012.
ongoing
as part of our corporate culture.
We engaged our associates in our GreenXpress Staff
Sustainability Program, with great participation in the specific
programs we ran.
Annual internal and external reporting
ongoing
We continue to report our progress through this sustainability
on environmental performance
reporting, which follows the Global Reporting Initiative. We are
progress.
also continuing to make sure associates have access to timely
information on our performance through our intranet.
Actively promote and market products
ongoing
Our initiatives for this target are on-going, and include maintaining
and services which foster and facilitate
our EarthSaver classifications and marketing, and including green
sustainability.
education material with all marketing plans.
Actively engage with suppliers to
ongoing
improve the sustainability of our supply
We are continuing to work with our suppliers to meet the
requirements of the Australian Packaging Covenant.
chain.
Diversity
Report gender diversity figures
ongoing
We implemented quarterly reporting.
completed
We promote our Employer of Choice for Women and initiatives in
quarterly by Executive Leadership
Team, Senior Leadership Team, their
direct reports and total; and focus on
targets
Promote gender diversity in recruitment
process and remuneration initiatives.
Continue to run ‘Business Woman of
our recruitment process.
completed
the Year’ program.
Continue to celebrate international
completed
Women's Day with associates
We hold Morning Teas and host speakers in many locations
around Australia and New Zealand to celebrate International
Women’s Day and our gender diversity programs.
Establish a Reconciliation Action Plan
completed
Steering Committee that meets
We created a RAP Steering Committee that meets quarterly to
implement our RAP initiatives.
quarterly
Conduct a diversity survey .
completed
In September we conducted a pulse check engagement survey
and we included diversity questions as part of that survey.
Continue supplier diversity program
completed
(with the launch of office products
We worked with AIMSC certified suppliers, and ADE Certified
Enterprises.
range in 2011 Business Solutions
Catalogue).
Launch preliminary cultural awareness
incomplete
training for associates.
Celebrate key events in the Indigenous
We delayed our cultural awareness training until 2012 and will
conduct as part of our Indigenous Employment Strategy.
ongoing
We implemented our Diversity Policy in 2010.
completed
We celebrated National Reconciliation Week, National Aborigines
calendar
Continue increasing workplace
diversity.
and Islanders Day Observance Committee Week, and participated
in Constitutional Recognition activities.
Develop and implement an Indigenous
incomplete
Employment Strategy to encourage the
We have developed our Indigenous Employment strategy, which
will be launched in 2012.
recruitment and retention of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander employees
Report on Reconciliation Action Plan
completed
We launched our first Reconciliation Action Plan in our head office
and communicate internally and
in Mascot (Sydney), NSW in November 2010 which for some
externally
associates was the first time being engaged in our reconciliation
programs.
How we operate
Extend our Leadership Development
completed
Around 130 of our senior leaders have now attended the program,
Program to an additional 30 leaders in
which provides a framework for managers to create the
our business.
environment where people can succeed.
Reduce our Lost Time Incident
incomplete
Frequency Rate to 6.1.
Continue to invest in our people
We reduced our Lost Time Incident Frequency Rate to 6.4. We will
continue to focus on improving our safety performance.
ongoing
through our learning and development
We increased our training for the implementation of SAP, and
introduced several new training programs for our associates.
programs.
Targets for 2012 and Beyond
Pillar
Target
Ethics
Continue to provide associates with training on the Staples Ethics Program
Timeframe
2012 and
ongoing
Continue to drive compliance of Staples Code of Ethics, Anti-Corruption Policy, Gifts and
2012 and
Entertainment Guidelines and Privacy Information Management Policy
ongoing
Continue to promote Staples EthicsLink whistleblower hotline to associates
2012 and
ongoing
Continue compliance with suppliers against Ethical Sourcing Policy for all suppliers and
2012 and
Staples Supplier Code of Conduct for own brand suppliers.
ongoing
Audit Staples own brand suppliers
2012 and
ongoing
Community
Launch Staples community giving council
2012
Sponsor a team of associates at a fitness event where funds go to a charity
2012 and
ongoing
Implement associate payroll giving
2012
Roll out national charity partnership with opportunities for associate volunteering
2012
Environment
Roll out national charity partnership with opportunities for associate volunteering
2012
Increase associate volunteering
2012
Participate in Choose a Charity program – Staples grant program
Ongoing
Continue to develop our leaders through mentoring programs
Ongoing
Launch ‘Go Green Grants’ with Landcare Australia
2012
Retain ISO14001 certification for Australian supply of products, facilities operations
and delivery of product
Conduct detailed data collection to measure and report on environmental performance
Ongoing
Every
quarter
Develop detailed baseline of energy consumption within our facilities
2012
Develop detailed baseline of waste production within our facilities
2012
Store, handle and transport all hazardous substances and dangerous goods in accordance
2012
with best practice
Effective storm water management through site drain mapping
2011
Empower associates to manage environmental impacts as an integral part of their roles
Ongoing
Annual internal and external reporting on environmental performance progress
2011
Actively promote and market products and services which foster and facilitate sustainability
Ongoing
Increase virtualisation to 100 per cent
2012
Increase electronic-based correspondence including digital forms, e-billing, e-invoicing, e-
2012
payables, internet-based invoices and quotes
Diversity
Report gender diversity figures quarterly by Executive Leadership Team, Senior
Leadership Team, their direct reports and total; and focus on targets
Continue to pomote our diversity programs in recruitment process and remuneration
Ongoing
Ongoing
initiatives
Continue to run ‘Business Woman of the Year’ program
Ongoing
Continue to celebrate International Women’s Day with associates
Ongoing
Launch our 2012 Reconciliation Action Plan
2012
Continue to support diversity suppliers and look for new procurement opportunities.
Ongoing
Celebrate key events in the Indigenous calendar such as National Reconciliation Week and
Ongoing
NAIDOC Week
Launch and implement our Indigenous Employment Strategy to encourage the recruitment
2012 and
and retention of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees
ongoing
Continue to report on Reconciliation Action Plan and communicate internally and externally
Ongoing
Expand our associate diversity program to include age and disability
2012
Develop the knowledge base of our Associate Diversity Council by inviting guest speakers
2012
to our council meetings.
How we
Extend our Leadership Development Program to an additional 30 leaders in our
operate
business
2012
Maintain our Lost Time Incident Frequency Rate to 6.4 or better
2012
Continue to invest in our people through our learning and development programs
Ongoing
Ordering
Policies
Corporate Information
Corporate Customers Ordering
Legal
About Staples
Government/Education Customers
Ordering
Terms & Conditions
Corporate Express
Privacy Statement
Corporate Responsibility
Media Releases
Careers
Contact Us
Staples Soul Home
How We Operate
Ethics and Governance
Community
Environment
Diversity
Take Action
Performance
Reporting Approach
Overview
Materiality Analysis
GRI Index
About This Site
Document Library
Overview
This site contains corporate responsibility information for the 2011 fiscal
year ending January 31, 2011. We conducted a materiality assessment to
identify the most important corporate responsibility issues to report on in
this site and have shared the process we used and the results of that
assessment in the Materiality Analysis section. We also describe the
scope of the report, any limitations, and our reporting approach in the
About this Site section.
Materiality Analysis
Focusing on what matters most.
We engaged a third party to conduct a questionnaire with our key stakeholders before developing this site to ensure
that our communications on corporate responsibility – and our strategic approach – focus on the issues that are
most relevant to us and our stakeholders.
The questionnaire was completed by over 400 stakeholders including associates, customers, suppliers,
sustainability professionals and community stakeholders. The questionnaire asked stakeholders which sustainability
issues were the most important for us to address. These issues were then mapped against their impact on our
business. The issues in the top right quadrant are the issues which we have prioritised in this report – i.e. the issues
which were assessed as being of moderate to high stakeholder concern and impact on our business.
The sustainability issues which were considered as being the most material
for us to address were:
Ethical sourcing — ensuring to the greatest degree possible that our
suppliers abide by our Ethical Sourcing Policy which requires them to
treat workers fairly and operate in a safe and environmentally
sustainable manner.
Product quality — ensuring that our products meet or exceed
customers’ performance expectations.
Employee satisfaction — treating associates with dignity and respect,
abiding by all employment laws, and supporting our associates’
professional development.
Sustainable procurement — sourcing recycled, non-toxic and
renewable materials that are responsibly produced.
Eco-conscious products and services — finding, sourcing and
selling environmentally preferable products.
Packaging — minimising the amount of materials needed to package and distribute our products and selecting
packaging materials that are better for the environment.
Customer interest in sustainability — helping our customers reduce their own environmental impacts.
Customer service — making it easy for customers to purchase the products and services they need at
reasonable prices.
GRI Index
GRI G3 Index
We have applied the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G3 sustainability reporting guidelines (GRI G3) in the
development of this report. The guidelines provide a globally-applicable framework for reporting on social, economic
and environmental performance. We have applied to an “A” Application Level.
Standard Disclosures Part I: Profile Disclosures
1. Strategy and Analysis
Profile
Disclosure
Description
Location/Direct answer
Level of
Disclosure
1.1
Statement from the most senior decision-
Message from the CEO
Full
Description of key impacts, risks, and
Message from the CEO
Full
opportunities.
Materiality Analysis
maker of the organization.
1.2
Ensuring Sound Governance
2011 Targets (Refer to Targets in
Performance section.)
Annual Report (pages 3, 4, 8-12)
Carbon Disclosure Project 2010
2. Organizational Profile
Profile
Disclosure
Description
Location/Direct answer
Level of
Disclosure
2.1
Name of the organization.
Corporate Express Australia Pty Limited.
Full
2.2
Primary brands, products, and/or services.
We source products from manufacturers
Full
and sell them to our customers.
About our company
2.3
Operational structure of the organization,
About our company
Full
including main divisions, operating
companies, subsidiaries, and joint ventures.
2.4
Location of organization's headquarters.
Mascot, New South Wales.
Full
2.5
Number of countries where the organization
About our company
Full
operates, and names of countries with
either major operations or that are
specifically relevant to the sustainability
issues covered in the report.
2.6
Nature of ownership and legal form.
How we Operate
Full
2.7
Markets served (including geographic
Australia and New Zealand.
Full
breakdown, sectors served, and types of
How we Operate
customers/beneficiaries).
2.8
Scale of the reporting organization.
Capitalisation information is disclosed in
Full
Staples Annual Report as part of Staples
International.
About our company
Annual Report (pages 2, 99)
Workforce diversity
2.9
Significant changes during the reporting
We reduced the number of our sites from
period regarding size, structure, or
51 to 46 due to optimising our distribution
ownership.
centre.
Full
How we Operate
2.10
Awards received in the reporting period.
Recognition/Awards
Full
3. Report Parameters
Profile
Disclosure
Description
Location/Direct answer
Level of
Disclosure
3.1
Reporting period (e.g., fiscal/calendar year)
1 February 2010 - 28 January 2011.
Full
for information provided.
3.2
Date of most recent previous report (if any).
August 2010.
Full
3.3
Reporting cycle (annual, biennial, etc.)
Annual
Full
3.4
Contact point for questions regarding the
Take Action
Full
report or its contents.
3.5
Process for defining report content.
Materiality Analysis
Full
3.6
Boundary of the report (e.g., countries,
About our company
Full
Nil.
Full
Basis for reporting on joint ventures,
Corporate Express Australia Pty Limited
Full
subsidiaries, leased facilities, outsourced
does not have any joint ventures.
divisions, subsidiaries, leased facilities, joint
ventures, suppliers). See GRI Boundary
Protocol for further guidance.
3.7
State any specific limitations on the scope or
boundary of the report (see completeness
principle for explanation of scope).
3.8
operations, and other entities that can
significantly affect comparability from period
About our company
to period and/or between organizations.
3.9
Data measurement techniques and the
Our general approach to data
bases of calculations, including assumptions
measurement standards follows
and techniques underlying estimations
international, Australian or GRI protocol.
applied to the compilation of the Indicators
Any diversions from these standards are
and other information in the report. Explain
footnoted.
Full
any decisions not to apply, or to
substantially diverge from, the GRI Indicator
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Protocols.
OHS Statistics
Workplace Diversity
3.10
Explanation of the effect of any re-
There have been no restatements made.
Full
Significant changes from previous reporting
About our company
Full
periods in the scope, boundary, or
About this site
statements of information provided in earlier
reports, and the reasons for such restatement (e.g.,mergers/acquisitions,
change of base years/periods, nature of
business, measurement methods).
3.11
measurement methods applied in the report.
3.12
Table identifying the location of the Standard
GRI Index
Full
About this site
Full
Disclosures in the report.
3.13
Policy and current practice with regard to
seeking external assurance for the report.
4. Governance, Commitments, and Engagement
Profile
Disclosure
Description
Location/Direct answer
Level of
Disclosure
4.1
Governance structure of the organization,
The Staples Board of Directors has overall
Full
including committees under the highest
responsibility for ESG issues.
governance body responsible for specific
tasks, such as setting strategy or
Ensuring Sound Governance
organizational oversight.
Staples Corporate Governance website
Corporate Governance/Executive Officers
4.2
Indicate whether the Chair of the highest
governance body is also an executive
Ensuring Sound Governance
Full
officer.
4.3
For organizations that have a unitary board
Ensuring Sound Governance
Full
Mechanisms for shareholders and
We have functional email lists (i.e. HR,
Full
employees to provide recommendations or
merchandising, inventory, EMS) for
direction to the highest governance body.
employees to email questions, concerns,
structure, state the number of members of
the highest governance body that are
independent and/or non-executive
members.
4.4
recommendations and feedback to the
functions.
There are no formal mechanisms for
employees to make recommendations to
the ELT and therefore we have not
identified topics related to economic,
environmental and social performance
raised through these mechanisms.
Annual Report (page 9)
Contact Investor Relations
4.5
Linkage between compensation for
Incentive plans are based on the
members of the highest governance body,
achievement of performance goals on
senior managers, and executives (including
one or more of the following business
departure arrangements), and the
criteria: sales, earnings per share, return on
organization's performance (including social
net assets, return on equity,
and environmental performance).
adjusted operating profit, free cash flow,
Full
total shareholder return, net income and
customer service levels. Apart from
customer service levels, there are no
specific references to other social or
environmental goals.
4.6
Processes in place for the highest
Directors' Corporate Governance Guidelines
Full
Directors' Corporate Governance Guidelines
Full
Internally developed statements of mission
Ethics
Full
or values, codes of conduct, and principles
Downloadable Policies
relevant to economic, environmental, and
Staples Soul
social performance and the status of their
TeamCARE
governance body to ensure conflicts of
interest are avoided.
4.7
Process for determining the qualifications
and expertise of the members of the
highest governance body for guiding the
organization's strategy on economic,
environmental, and social topics.
4.8
implementation.
4.9
Procedures of the highest governance body
The Executive Leadership Team meets
for overseeing the organization's
weekly and is presented with information on
identification and management of
the company's sustainability performance at
economic, environmental, and social
these meetings. There are no specific
performance, including relevant risks and
procedures in place for social and
opportunities, and adherence or compliance
environmental performance.
Full
with internationally agreed standards,
codes of conduct, and principles.
Staples Corporate Governance Web page
Executive Leadership Team
4.10
Processes for evaluating the highest
The Board of Staples does not have ESG
governance body's own performance,
performance measures.
Full
particularly with respect to economic,
4.11
environmental, and social performance.
Directors' Corporate Governance Guidelines
Explanation of whether and how the
Corporate Express doesn't formally take into
Full
precautionary approach or principle is
account the precautionary principle.
addressed by the organization.
In terms of climate change, while Corporate
Express is not involved in a highly carbon
intensive business or industry, we depend
on fossil fuels and fossil fuel-based
electricity to run our business so we are
acting on mitigating the regulatory and other
risks that climate change could affect our
business.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Carbon Disclosure Project
4.12
Externally developed economic,
We participated for the second time in the
environmental, and social charters,
Carbon Disclosure Project in May 2010. We
principles, or other initiatives to which the
are also a signatory to the Australian
organization subscribes or endorses.
Packaging Covenant (formerly the National
Full
Packaging Covenant).
4.13
Memberships in associations (such as
We are members of AIMSC, Australian
industry associations) and/or
Packaging Covenant and ECO-BUY. In
Full
national/international advocacy
New Zealand we are members of the
organizations in which the organization: *
Sustainable Business Network and the New
Has positions in governance bodies; *
Zealand Green Building Council.
Participates in projects or committees; *
Provides substantive funding beyond
routine membership dues; or * Views
membership as strategic.
4.14
List of stakeholder groups engaged by the
Stakeholder Engagement
Full
Stakeholder Engagement
Full
Stakeholder Engagement
Full
Stakeholder Engagement
Full
organization.
4.15
Basis for identification and selection of
stakeholders with whom to engage.
4.16
Approaches to stakeholder engagement,
including frequency of engagement by type
and by stakeholder group.
4.17
Key topics and concerns that have been
raised through stakeholder engagement,
and how the organization has responded to
those key topics and concerns, including
through its reporting.
Standard Disclosures Part II: Disclosures on Management Approach (DMAs)
DMA EC
Description
Location/Direct answer
Level of Disclosure
Economic performance
About our company
Full
Annual Report (pages 2-4)
Market presence
About our company
Full
Annual Report (pages 2-4)
DMA EN
Description
Location/Direct answer
Level of Disclosure
Materials
Sustainable Products
Full
Energy
Greenhouse gas emissions
Full
Water
We do not discuss our management approach
Not reported.
to water as all of our sites are in leased
buildings where the cost of water is rolled up
into the lease. We will be working with our
landlords in the future to understand our
consumption rates and plan on reporting on
this in 2013.
Emissions, effluents and waste
Environment Waste
Full
Products and services
Sustainable products
Full
Compliance
Environment
Full
Transport
Sustainable Transport
Full
Overall
Environment
Full
Description
Location/Direct answer
Level of Disclosure
Employment
Associate Engagement
Full
Labor/management relations
Labour Relations Practices
Full
Occupational health and safety
Health and Safety
Full
Training and education
Associate Engagement
Full
Diversity and equal opportunity
Workplace Diversity
Full
Description
Location/Direct answer
Level of Disclosure
Investment and procurement practices
Ethical Sourcing
Full
Non-discrimination
Workplace Diversity
Full
Freedom of association and collective
Labour Relations Practices
Full
As we comply with Australian law there are no
Full
DMA LA
DMA HR
bargaining
Child labour
operations identified as having significant risk
for incidents of child labour. We do not have a
formal process for identifying these risks.
We have an Ethical Sourcing Policy that
outlines our approach to human rights
considerations. Our risk management process
identifies risks related to poor labour practices,
industrial relationships and workplace turnover.
In our own operations, child labour, forced
labour and risk to freedom of association is not
a significant risk for our operations in Australia
and New Zealand and is not reported on as it is
not considered to be material to our operations
as we comply with Australia and New Zealand
laws.
Ethical Sourcing Policy
Forced and compulsory labour
As we comply with Australian law there are no
Full
operations identified in which there is a risk of
forced or compulsory labour. We do not have a
formal process for identifying these risks.
Ethical Sourcing Policy
Security practices
Not reported. Not applicable: Our security
N/A
personnel are employed by third-party
contractors.
Indigenous rights
Indigenous Support Program
Full
Description
Location/Direct answer
Level of Disclosure
Community
Community
Full
Corruption
Law of the Jungle
Full
Public policy
Our approach is to make public submissions
Full
DMA SO
when issues emerge that are relevant to our
business. We did not participate in public policy
development or lobbying in the reporting
period.
Anti-competitive behavior
Ethics
Full
Compliance
Ethics
Full
Description
Location/Direct answer
Level of Disclosure
Customer health and safety
We do not collect information on the lifecycle
Full
DMA PR
stages of products in terms of health and
safety. We do however have processes in
place for dangerous goods, in terms of how
they should be stored, transported, used and
disposed of.
Ethical Disposal Procedure
Sustainable Products
Product and service labelling
Sustainable Products
Full
Marketing communications
Sustainable Products
Full
Code of Ethics
Customer Service
Customer privacy
Not reported. Not available. We do not collect
N/A
this data. We plan on collecting this data by
2013.
Compliance
Sustainable Products
Full
Code of Ethics
Customer Service
Standard Disclosures Part III: Performance Indicators
Economic
Profile
Disclosure
Description
Location/Direct answer
Level of
Disclosure
EC1
Direct economic value generated and
Our financial performance information is
Partial.
distributed, including revenues, operating
reported through Staples International in the
Australia and
costs, employee compensation, donations
Staples, Inc. Annual Report.
New Zealand
and other community investments, retained
financial
earnings, and payments to capital providers
Annual Report (pages 2, 99, 104)
information is
and governments.
Community Contributions
not reported as
it is
commercially
sensitive.
EC2
Financial implications and other risks and
Our Chief Financial Officer has climate
Full
opportunities for the organization's activities
change as one of his responsibilities. We
due to climate change.
made a submission to the Carbon
Disclosure Project in 2010 which outlines
how we view risks and opportunities
associated with climate change. We have
not quantitatively measured these risks.
Carbon Disclosure Project
EC3
Coverage of the organization's defined
We do not have any defined benefit plans.
benefit plan obligations.
Superannuation in Australia is in line with
Full
the compulsory nine per cent with staff able
to salary sacrifice to contribute additional
superannuation should they wish. New
Zealand is voluntary after tax deductions on
request.
EC4
Significant financial assistance received
No financial assistance received.
Full
Policy, practices, and proportion of
We have a long-standing approach to use
Full
spending on locally-based suppliers at
local suppliers wherever possible. 98 of our
significant locations of operation.
top 100 suppliers are local. We define 'local'
from government.
EC6
as Australia.
EC7
Procedures for local hiring and proportion
We premise our recruitment on hiring the
of senior management hired from the local
best person for the job - however we have
community at significant locations of
found that for the majority of roles it is
operation.
sufficient for us to focus on a local based
Full
sourcing strategy.
The sourcing strategy is tailored to the
requirements of each role. However
generally recruitment for the majority of
roles would involve a mix of advertising
through local recruitment agents, social
media sites, specialised local websites and
print advertising, and internal hires.
EC8
Development and impact of infrastructure
Not reported. We do not make infrastructure
investments and services provided primarily
investments and therefore consider this
for public benefit through commercial, in-
indicator to be not applicable to us.
N/A
kind, or pro bono engagement.
Environmental
Profile
Disclosure
Description
Location/Direct answer
Level of
Disclosure
EN1
Materials used by weight or volume.
Not reported as the data is not available.
N/A
We reviewed how much packaging we use
for our private-label products in 2009. We
have not carried out this review this year we
are currently transitioning to Staples private
label products so will be reporting on this in
more detail in 2011/12.
We do not currently measure other
materials used but have started measuring
our internal paper usage (see EN2). In the
next year we will report more fully on paper
consumption.
EN2
Percentage of materials used that are
For our internal paper usage, 38.1 per cent
Partial. We do
recycled input materials.
of the paper was made with recycled paper,
not collect this
1.2 per cent was carbon neutral, and all was
data but plan
from a sustainable source. This is separate
on reporting on
from the paper used for our catalogues.
this in the next
3 years.
EN3
Direct energy consumption by primary
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Full
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Full
Green IT
Full
Not reported. While water consumption is
N/A
energy source.
EN4
Indirect energy consumption by primary
source.
EN5
Energy saved due to conservation and
efficiency improvements.
EN8
Total water withdrawal by source.
an area of environmental impact resulting
from our operation, our water consumption
is not significant and as such we have
focused our efforts on more key areas of
impact such as waste management and
energy consumption. We will review our
position on the collection of water
consumption data in 2012.
EN11
Location and size of land owned, leased,
Not reported as this is not applicable. We
managed in, or adjacent to, protected areas
do not have operations in or near land
and areas of high biodiversity value outside
which has high biodiversity value.
N/A
protected areas.
EN12
Description of significant impacts of
Not reported as this is not applicable. We
activities, products, and services on
do not have impacts on biodiversity in
biodiversity in protected areas and areas of
protected areas and areas of high
high biodiversity value outside protected
biodiversity value outside protected areas.
N/A
areas.
EN16
Total direct and indirect greenhouse gas
9,649.88 tonnes of CO2 emissions
Full
emissions by weight.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
EN17
Other relevant indirect greenhouse gas
9,373.86 tonnes of CO2 emissions
Full
emissions by weight.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
EN19
Emissions of ozone-depleting substances
Nil.
Full
NOx, SOx, and other significant air
Not reported. We do not report air
N/A
emissions by type and weight.
emissions, other than CO2 emissions,
by weight.
EN20
because we do not have any other
significant air emissions so this disclosure is
not deemed material.
EN21
Total water discharge by quality and
Not reported. We do not report on this issue
destination.
since the disclosure does not relate to our
N/A
business because we do not have any
water discharges from our operations.
EN22
Total weight of waste by type and disposal
The method of disposal was determined by
method.
information provided from our waste
Full
disposal contractor.
Waste Reduction
EN23
Total number and volume of significant
Nil.
Full
Sustainable Products
Full
spills.
EN26
Initiatives to mitigate environmental impacts
of products and services, and extent of
impact mitigation.
EN27
Percentage of products sold and their
We sold 1,219,800 toners and recycled
packaging materials that are reclaimed by
approx 250,000 or approx 20.5 per cent.
category.
Reclaimed data is only available for toners.
Partial
We are unable to confirm the exact amount
of toners collected for recycling as we
changed our toner cartridge recycling
scheme in the middle of the year. We will be
able to report more accurately next year.
Recycling Services for Customers
EN28
Monetary value of significant fines and total
Nil.
Full
Sustainable Transport
Full
number of non-monetary sanctions for noncompliance with environmental laws and
regulations.
EN29
Significant environmental impacts of
transporting products and other goods and
materials used for the organization's
operations, and transporting members of
the workforce.
Labor Practices and Decent Work
Profile
Disclosure
Description
Location/Direct answer
Level of
Disclosure
LA1
Total workforce by employment type,
Workplace Diversity
Full
Workplace Diversity
Full
Percentage of employees covered by
14.5 per cent of employees are covered by
Full
collective bargaining agreements.
a collective bargaining agreement.
Minimum notice period(s) regarding
The minimum notice period for operational
significant operational changes, including
changes is four weeks for people
whether it is specified in collective
managers, two weeks for non-people
agreements.
managers, and two weeks for all Enterprise
employment contract, and region.
LA2
Total number and rate of employee
turnover by age group, gender, and region.
LA4
LA5
Full
Bargaining Agreement warehouse staff.
LA6
LA7
Percentage of total workforce represented
One hundred per cent of the workforce is
in formal joint management-worker health
represented by Health and Safety
Full
and safety committees that help monitor
Committees, consisting of elected health
and advise on occupational health and
and safety representatives and
safety programs.
management representatives.
Rates of injury, occupational diseases, lost
There were no work-related fatalities. We
Partial. We do
days, and absenteeism, and number of
had 93, 697 hours of absenteeism in the
not report on
work-related fatalities by region.
reporting period.
occupational
diseases,
Health and Safety
absenteeism
rate or lost
days. We plan
to collect this
information in
the next two
years.
LA8
Education, training, counseling, prevention,
Not reported as this is not applicable. We
and risk-control programs in place to assist
operate in areas where there is low risk
workforce members, their families, or
from serious diseases.
community members regarding serious
diseases.
N/A
LA9
Health and safety topics covered in formal
Our collective agreements include a health
agreements with trade unions.
and safety section, which covers aspects
Full
including the lifting of heavy objects, manual
handling and heat management.
LA10
Average hours of training per year per
Associate Engagement
employee by employee category.
Partial. We do
not measure
training per
employee
category. We
will report on
training per job
grade by 2015.
LA13
Composition of governance bodies and
Ensuring Sound Governance
breakdown of employees per category
Associate Diversity Council
according to gender, age group, minority
Workplace Diversity
group membership, and other indicators of
Annual Report (pages 7-11)
Full
diversity.
LA14
Ratio of basic salary of men to women by
Not reported. We report statistics on our
employee category.
approach to remuneration to the Equal
N/A
Opportunity for Women in the Workplace
Agency. We do not publicly disclose this
data as individuals may be identified.
Human Rights
Profile
Disclosure
Description
Location/Direct answer
Level of
Disclosure
HR1
Percentage and total number of significant
Nil.
Full
Percentage of significant suppliers and
Our Ethical Sourcing Policy includes human
Partial. Due to
contractors that have undergone screening
rights considerations that suppliers are
the transition to
on human rights and actions taken.
asked to sign. Due to the transition to
Staples
Staples program, no suppliers underwent
program, no
human rights screenings this year and we
suppliers
did not collect data on the numbers of
underwent
suppliers who have signed our existing
human rights
policy. In the next two years we will be able
screenings this
to report on the percentage of suppliers that
year and we
have signed the Staples code.
did not collect
Ethical Sourcing Policy
data on the
investment agreements that include human
rights clauses or that have undergone
human rights screening.
HR2
numbers of
suppliers who
have signed
our existing
policy. We will
report on
suppliers who
undergo
human rights
screenings by
2013.
HR4
Total number of incidents of discrimination
We received five complaints in the reporting
and actions taken.
report and we have reviewed all incidents.
We are still investigating one incident as
this complaint was received close to the
reporting year end. The remaining four have
all been resolved and none of these
Full
incidents were subject to legal actions.
HR5
Operations identified in which the right to
As we comply with Australian law there are
exercise freedom of association and
no operations identified in which employee
collective bargaining may be at significant
rights to exercise freedom of association or
risk, and actions taken to support these
collective bargaining may be at risk.
rights.
Industrial relations and unions are part of
Full
our risk management program and are
assessed.
Ethical Sourcing Policy
HR6
Operations identified as having significant
As we comply with Australian law there are
risk for incidents of child labor, and
no operations identified as having
measures taken to contribute to the
significant risk for incidents of child labour.
elimination of child labor.
We do not have a formal process for
Full
identifying these risks.
Ethical Sourcing Policy
HR7
Operations identified as having significant
As we comply with Australian law there are
risk for incidents of forced or compulsory
no operations identified in which there is a
labor, and measures to contribute to the
risk of forced or compulsory labour. We do
elimination of forced or compulsory labor.
not have a formal process for identifying
Full
these risks.
Ethical Sourcing Policy
Society
Profile
Disclosure
Description
Location/Direct answer
Level of
Disclosure
SO1
Nature, scope, and effectiveness of any
We do not formally assess our impacts on
Full
programs and practices that assess and
entering, operating in, or exiting local
manage the impacts of operations on
communities.
communities, including entering, operating,
and exiting.
Reconciliation
Sustainable Products
Community Contributions
SO2
Percentage and total number of business
We do not analyse business units for
units analyzed for risks related to
organisational risks relating to corruption.
Full
corruption.
SO3
Percentage of employees trained in
We do not report fully on this indicator at the
organization's anti-corruption policies and
moment as we do not have the data
procedures.
management systems in place but plan to
Partial
report on this fully next year.
Law of the Jungle
SO4
Actions taken in response to incidents of
No incidents of corruption reported.
Full
Public policy positions and participation in
Our approach is to make public
Full
public policy development and lobbying.
submissions when issues emerge that are
corruption.
SO5
relevant to our business. We did not
participate in public policy development or
lobbying in the reporting period.
SO8
Monetary value of significant fines and total
number of non-monetary sanctions for noncompliance with laws and regulations.
Product Responsibility
Nil.
Full
Profile
Disclosure
Description
Location/Direct answer
Level of
Disclosure
PR1
Life cycle stages in which health and safety
We do not collect information on the
Full
impacts of products and services are
lifecycle stages of products in terms of
assessed for improvement, and percentage
health and safety. We do however have
of significant products and services
processes in place for dangerous goods, in
categories subject to such procedures.
terms of how they should be stored,
transported, used and disposed of.
Ethical Disposal Procedure
Sustainable Products
PR3
Type of product and service information
We follow Australian legislation and
required by procedures, and percentage of
government guidelines on product labelling.
significant products and services subject to
Our contracts with suppliers state that they
such information requirements.
must meet product labelling legislation.
Full
Sustainable Products
PR6
Programs for adherence to laws, standards,
Our legal department reviews all
and voluntary codes related to marketing
merchandising documents (contracts,
communications, including advertising,
catalogue pages, advertising and
promotion, and sponsorship.
packaging) and Staples legal approves all
Full
own brand packaging labels.
In the reporting period all 11 of our
catalogues were printed on sustainable
sourced paper, using printers with
ISO14001 and mills with ISO14001, with
chlorine free bleaching processes. The
catalogues are made from a range of
paper, one of which is made from 100 per
cent recycled content.
Law of the Jungle
PR9
Monetary value of significant fines for non-
Nil.
Full
compliance with laws and regulations
concerning the provision and use of
products and services.
About This Site
Site map
Staples Soul Home
How We Operate
Ethics & Governance
Community
Environment
Diversity
Take Action
Performance Summary
We have developed this website to share information about our corporate responsibility efforts with our customers,
We have developed this website to share information about our corporate responsibility efforts with our customers,
associates, suppliers and community members.
The website covers Corporate Express Australia Pty Limited’s activities from February 1st 2011 to January 31st 2012.
This is our fourth sustainability report and we report on our sustainability initiatives and performance on an annual
basis.
Our previous report which covers the year to January 31st 2011 is available for download in the Report Archive tab.
We are now 100 per cent owned by Staples and as such we are in the process of aligning our reporting and data
collection processes with Staples globally. Staples’ CSR program, Staples Soul, is made up of four pillars: Ethics,
Community, Environment and Diversity. As such we have structured this report to align with these four pillars.
To determine the key metrics to report on we have applied the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G3 sustainability
reporting framework (GRI G3) to an “A” Application Level. We also conducted a stakeholder questionnaire in 2010
to determine the topics of highest relevance and value to our stakeholders, and have reported on these issues
accordingly. Specific indicator references can be found in the GRI Index.
In 2011, Staples implemented a new web-based reporting tool (Credit360) to gather environmental and social data
from operations from around the world. The tool enables us to better collect, manage and communicate this data
and meet our stakeholders’ requests for increased transparency. We will continue to roll out this tool to additional
data owners in 2012.
The $ used in this site refer to Australian dollars unless otherwise stated.
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Staples Soul Home
How We Operate
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Reporting Approach
Document Library
Overview
Overview
Report Archive
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Staples Soul News
Transparency is an important part of Staples Soul. Our goal is to provide
you with the information you need to understand what we’re doing and
why, the progress we’ve made so far and which issues continue to
challenge us. In this section you can review past reports, read Staples
Soul policies and find related press releases.
Report Archive
A look back.
Read and download our previous Sustainability Reports here:
2011 Sustainability Report
2010 Sustainability Report
2009 Sustainability Report
2009 Sustainability Report Executive Summary
2008 Sustainability Report
Downloadable Policies
Staples Soul policies.
Read and download some of our key corporate responsibility policies here:
Environment Policy
Ethical Sourcing Policy
Staples Supplier Code of Contuct
OHS Policy
Code of Conduct Policy
CSR Policy Statement
Supplier Diversity Policy Statement
Diversity Supplier Questionnaire
Staples Soul News
Staples Soul is making a positive difference.
Read all about it – then take action!
2012
Corporate Express Awarded for Innovation, Value and Sustainability
Corporate Express launches Indigenous Employment Strategy
Corporate Express and Junior Landcare launch Go Green Grants Program
2011
Corporate Express helps Australian organisations reduce their carbon footprint
Corporate Express wins 2011 Australian Business Award for Environmental Sustainability
Corporate Express encourages Australian businesses to do their bit for sustainability
2010
Staples’ employees choose a charity and change lives
Corporate Express Presents $46,000 Cheque to Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation – media alert
Corporate Express launches inaugural Reconciliation Action Plan
Corporate Express CEO wins 'Leading CEO for the Advancement of Women'
Corporate Express supports Indigenous economic development
Corporate Express challenges Aussie businesses to go green
Corporate Express sustainability initiatives fact sheet and key statistics
2009
Call for big business to fight against poverty
Corporate Express releases its inaugural Sustainability Report
Corporate Express scoops the pool in this year's business sustainability awards
Businesses switching to recycled copy paper
Corporate Express gearing up for Fair Trade Fortnight by becoming a Fair Trade Workplace
New energy efficient data centre at Corporate Express
2008
Corporate Express takes out Sustainable Company of the Year Award
Corporate Express expands support for workers with expansion of Fairtrade range
Corporate Express takes to Mascot
Corporate Express donates $65,000 to Sydney Children's Hospital
2007
Corporate Express included in CR index
Major Business supplier taking the lead on sustainability
Corporate Express appoints a Corporate Social Responsibility Manager
Major business supplier taking the lead on ethical sourcing
2006
Corporate Express takes win-win approach on sustainability
Universities support Fair Trade coffee
Corporate support for Fair Trade coffee
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