As part of Officeworks’ People & Planet Positive 2025 Plan, the retailer is sharing its vision for the future, announcing how it is tracking towards making a positive difference for people and the planet against its 2025 targets.
The iconic retailer is acknowledging its responsibility to reduce environmental impacts, by working with it’s customers, partners and team members, and sharing how its tracking against a series of sustainable commitments while maintaining every day low prices for its customers.
Strong progress has been made across the 18 commitments in the plan, with the retailer already hitting its scope 1 and 2 emissions target two years in advance, putting them on target to use 100% renewable energy by 2025, and surpassing its commitment of supporting 30,000 Australian students who need it most, having helped 40,000 students to date.
Officeworks Managing Director, Sarah Hunter said: “Officeworks’ performance reflects our continued business focus on sustainability, and growing customer and team member sentiment to live and work responsibly and sustainably.
“Australian families are more conscious than ever about sustainability, and so are we. We know sustainability in all areas of our business is important to our customers, and those who want to make more sustainable choices are shopping with retailers who reflect their values.
“We remain committed to progressing towards our 2025 goals and contributing positively to people and the planet along the way, recognising we have an important role to play in the lives of our team members, and in the local communities where we live and work.
“We are on track to be a NetZero emissions business by 2030 in our owned and controlled operations, making Officeworks carbon neutral.”
By investing in energy efficiency initiatives, such as LED rollouts and Building Energy Management system (BEMS) implementations, Officeworks is working to generate clean energy on-site through the installation of onsite solar power systems and procuring the balance of electricity needs through renewable energy sources.
The business switched on its first solar and battery-operated store in Warana, Queensland in 2023. The 1,722 sqm store has been working towards operating off 100% renewable energy for two years and has previously implemented sustainability measures including LED light fixtures, a BEMS, thermal roof coating and double insulation in the roof.
Officeworks Carbon and Energy Manager, Patrick Heagney said: “By 2025 all Queensland stores will operate using 100% renewable energy, which is an important step as a brand, as we work towards using 100% renewable energy by 2025 for the entire business and net-zero emissions by 2030.”
The retailer has extended its range of People and Planet Positive products that hold sustainable attributes without compromising on quality or value, with the sustainable products available at a comparable cost.
Products within the range include recycled content, wooden materials, and certified cotton as well as items that are made from plants, are refillable, recyclable or that can be reused as well as products made free from plastic and made using fast-growing renewables, where products are made from bamboo, rattan, or other fast-growing renewable resources, or organic materials only.
Hunter said the retailer’s sustainable vision also means connecting with the wider team, community, partners, and customers through programs that not only have a positive impact but can easily form a part of their own sustainability goals.
Hunter added: “For Officeworks, we want to make sustainability easy, both through the products we sell, but also through our sustainable programs such as Bring it Back, and Moorup tech trade-in, which make it simple and easy for customers to make a positive impact for people and the planet in their day-to-day lives.”
