Doing Business Responsibly Around Australia
Words Brett Winchester Photography Cieran Murphy
Alongside its sustainable building products, ForestOne is undertaking a range of initiatives to be more responsible in the way it operates its business. Seen in the execution of environmentally mindful practices – such as using hybrid cars, hybrid delivery trucks, LED lighting, solar panels and the newest distribution centre in Berrinba, Queensland – ForestOne exemplifies conscious business decisions that positively affect the environment.
Conducting responsible business is in tune with Specifying Responsibly, a practice that ForestOne embodies through its products, specification representatives and warehouses. With an awareness of the impact of construction on people and the environment, ForestOne considers it an obliga- tion to make the responsible choice and contribute to the sustainability of the ecosystem. “To be truly responsible, we need to look at all aspects of our operations and find ways that we can improve what we do,” says David Brooker, Group Operations Manager at ForestOne. Through its actions, sourcing of ethically made products and building environmentally efficient warehouses – such as the newest distribution centre in Berrinba – ForestOne continues to operate with a business philosophy that “sees us looking across all areas of our operations to implement initiatives that improve what we do and to become more responsible,” notes David. After successfully implementing a plan to replace all vehicles used by ForestOne representatives with hybrid cars – 40 cars in total for representatives across all Forest- One branches – ForestOne has limited the amount of petrol
wastage and carbon emissions it is producing. Alone, this initiative saves up to 79 tonnes of carbon per year. Addi- tionally, three hybrid Hino trucks have also been employed to collectively save 18 tonnes of carbon. “These trucks are used to deliver products to our customers,” says David. By utilising hybrid electricity technology, the trucks are much more efficient for ForestOne deliveries and sustainable ini- tiatives. Moreover, the hybrid Hino trucks use “significantly less fuel than a conventional truck would,” David elabo- rates, “which in turn reduces the overall carbon emissions from our deliveries.” Further initiatives taken by ForestOne include its partnership with Pakaflex, whereby the supplier buys back clean plastic packaging from customers and recycles 100 per cent of it into more wrap, explains David. The product is also 100 per cent recyclable and made using 25 per cent post-consumer recycled plastic, a number that Pakaflex is committed to increasing over time. “Beyond recycling, this wrap is a higher quality product than what is typically used,” notes David. “It lasts longer and better protects the product inside.”
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