SUSTAINABILITY AT USL – WE BELIEVE IN BETTER

WE BELIEVE IN BETTER

Bunzl Plc, a global leader with operations across the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the UK and Ireland, is committed to fostering a more sustainable and equitable future. For more information, please explore our global sustainability strategy here.

As part of the Bunzl Plc group, Bunzl Asia-Pacific brings our global sustainability vision to life with a focus on the unique needs of the Asia-Pacific region. Our 'We Believe in Better' sustainability strategy outlines key initiatives and ensures accountability to our commitments.

USL, as part of Bunzl Asia-Pacific, proudly champions sustainability leadership by providing locally tailored, impactful solutions. Our 'We Believe in Better' strategy serves as a guiding North Star, shaping our business decisions and empowering our customers to achieve their sustainability goals.

Embedding Ethical Supply Chains

We aim to lead by example in ethical conduct, promoting better labour and environmental practices throughout our supply chain. More information about our work to uphold human rights, ensuring fair working conditions and eliminating modern slavery is available in our:

We strive to use our purchasing power for good

We are committed to leveraging procurement to support the conservation, protection and improvement of the environment and community. Accordingly, we hold our suppliers to comparable standards and encourage them to adopt sustainable practices and a continuous improvement approach in their product sourcing. Discover our range of products sourced from these like-minded suppliers.

We partner with third parties for verification

We participate in several third-party verification schemes to ensure transparency and enable our customers to make informed purchasing decisions.

As an EcoVadis member, we are part of the world’s largest and most trusted provider of business sustainability ratings, enabling customers to openly understand and assess our sustainability credentials.

Ensuring everyone counts

Our people and the communities we operate in are at the heart of our success. We foster an equitable and inclusive work environment, that prioritises health, happiness, and wellbeing. We achieve this through our safety-first approach, flexible working arrangements, and mental health support. As part of Bunzl Asia-Pacific, our rich wellbeing culture has been recognised through Great Place to Work certification since 2023.

We celebrate diversity inside and outside of Bunzl

We promote gender equality and equal opportunity throughout our recruitment, training, promotion and performance processes. We have an Inspiring Women In Bunzl program to champion female participation and development across our businesses.

Accelerating climate Action

As part of Bunzl Asia Pacific, we are committed to achieving Net Zero for Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030, and Net Zero across Scope 1, 2, and 3 by 2050. Our regional Carbon Roadmap outlines the necessary steps to meet these targets.

Our Environmental Policy, supported by a certified ISO 14001 environmental management system, demonstrates our commitment to minimising environmental impact through sustainable practices and regulatory compliance.

We are committed to Net Zero Emissions

We are committed to using technology to increase efficiency in our workplace. Key features include:

A C-Bus lighting system that provides automated, centralized control of lighting and other electrical systems.
Energy-efficient LED lighting installed in both office and warehouse areas.
Daylight harvesting and light sensors in warehouse to optimize warehouse lighting based on natural light availability.

We also installed EV charging stations in 2019 at our site to promote the use of EVs or hybrid vehicles among our staff. By offering free charging during work hours, we are helping to remove barriers to EV adoption and promote sustainable transportation choices.

We have been tracking our scope 3 emissions from our goods and services for several years, and have a plan in place to address them. We have recently advanced this plan by engaging with our largest suppliers to better understand their carbon reduction efforts while informing them of our policies, targets, and other requirements.

USL collaborates closely with our freight partner, NZ Post, to optimize and continuously enhance order delivery and shipment fulfilment processes. Several initiatives have been implemented to streamline operations and eliminate inefficiencies, including:

Agreed order placement days
Defined order delivery days and timeframes
Splitting order placement into bulk (pallet) fast-moving lines and standard carton lines
Reducing freight handling through on-site personnel

Transitioning to Circularity

We embed circular economy principles to reduce our environmental impact and are committed to the phase-out of problematic and unnecessary single-use plastics packaging as well as sourcing reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging where possible.

We use our website and email systems to keep customers up to date with changes in our services, rather than paper-based information trails. We also use an automated ordering system where possible to cut down on resources within our processes.

We are innovating in product and packaging

We prioritize working with suppliers who show a strong commitment to recycling. Additionally, we are continually exploring ways to reduce plastic use in product packaging, including items like crepe bandages, conforming bandages, and aprons. See our range of products here.

We are proactively enabling better customer choices

To support customers through their procurement processes and recommend the most sustainable product and packaging for their needs, we’ve trained select employees to become Sustainability Ambassadors. Our Ambassadors share their knowledge and expertise throughout New Zealand.

We are cracking down on our waste

We are committed to improving the way we manage operational waste to meet our waste reduction goals and establish a comprehensive waste management program.

With over 50% of our waste recycled annually, we encourage staff to extend sustainable practices at home, aligning with our workplace initiatives. Our key efforts include:

Recycling ink cartridges for office printers through a specialist collection service.
Installing recycling bins in convenient office locations for cans, bottles, and plastics.
Regular paper waste collection for recycling.
Sorting and separating hazardous waste into designated bins.
Recycling stationery for internal use where appropriate.
Reusing cardboard cartons as carton fill, eliminating plastic packing in our warehouse.