The Bunzl Partnership with Foodbuy

At Foodbuy, we work hard to create positive enduring relationships with our Supply Partners. Whether it be a new start-up, a social enterprise or a global market leader, every partnership is important to us and should be founded on shared values and in delivering the very best competitive advantage to our Member Clients.

A key component in these relationships is how we can work together, learn together and invest together in the products and services that reflect our commitment to “Purpose Driven Procurement. With health, community and ESG (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance) sitting at the heart of a growing number of organisational priorities, our investment in “WorldFirst^TM” and the partnerships within are critical to our future and the positive influence we can bring to our market.

Our long-standing relationship with the team at Bunzl exemplifies these shared values and we are delighted to continue our journey together. A journey founded on bringing the very best of both existing and evolving products to our Clients and in developing new opportunities to deliver a positive impact on our communities and the broader environment. Let’s hear from the team at Bunzl…

“At Bunzl, we believe that our business is knowing your business. Our relationship with Foodbuy highlights that through true partnership, we can achieve anything.”

~ Lance Ward, Managing Director,
   Bunzl Australia & New Zealand

It is with great excitement that we have been successful in renewing our partnership with Foodbuy for another term on the back of a long-standing 20+ year close working relationship. Over this time our partnership has continued to prosper, we have been able to work collaboratively through many changes presented to us within our respective businesses and also the ever-evolving market. In recent years, these changes include the launch of Foodbuy Australia and their new clients. As market leaders, our successful onboarding enables us to provide market-leading platforms, product innovation, data analytics and reporting, and support client-specific programs.

In 2020 the world was hit by COVID-19. With countries going into lockdown coupled with increased consumer demand this significantly impacted the supply chains across various PPE products such as masks, gowns and gloves, washroom products and alcohol-based hand sanitiser within Australia. Utilising Bunzl’s diverse supply chain, specialisation and collective approach, we were able to continue to support and meet the expectations of Foodbuy’s client base – truly highlighting the commitment to our partnership.

Throughout Australia, we have started to see our Governments pass new legislation banning some Single-Use Plastic Products. Our Sustainability team have worked closely with each State Government to ensure we are providing and working with the most up to date information and working to provide alternative solutions ahead of these legislative changes.

We believe in creating a sustainable environment for us and Foodbuy. Our sustainability strategy consists of four pillars that align with our business: Supply Chain; Products & Customers; People & Community; and Environment & Climate Change. These pillars illustrate the commitments we have made, including specific targets in areas where we have the most meaningful impact.

Plastic pollution is one of the biggest challenges of our time. That’s truer now than ever before, as the world steps up its use of safety and hygiene products that keep us safe. At Bunzl, many of the products we sell contain plastic, and so we recognise our responsibility to be part of the solution. This is why we’re working with Foodbuy and their clients to facilitate lasting behaviour change that will lead the industry towards a more sustainable approach to single-use plastics. We understand that the elimination of oxo-degradable plastics products from our range is crucial and we are committed to working with our customers to do so.

We believe that through innovation we find more dynamic solutions. At Bunzl, we are committed to leading continuous innovation to deliver more sustainable product solutions. Our product and packaging specialists are always on the lookout for emerging trends and product solutions, so they can provide Foodbuy with the expert advice their clients need to thrive.

Our extensive and flexible supply chain offers you the opportunity to choose from a wide range of products to meet both your commercial and sustainability needs. Bunzl and Foodbuy take the same approach to Modern Slavery, in that we accept ZERO tolerance.

Our supply chain management processes ensure these products are manufactured and sourced responsibly. We have an assurance and quality control team based in Shanghai that performs regular audits of our direct suppliers in Asia to ensure that they meet our standards in relation to human rights and conditions of work. The audits cover various aspects including a child, forced or bonded labour, disciplinary practices, management of homeworkers and foreign migrant workers, freedom of association, wages, working hours and health and safety.

At Bunzl, we cultivate strong relationships and enhance respect between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians. We support and encourage Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians to collaborate, encourage and support opportunities in the line of business. Our commitment to Indigenous Australia is about working with organisations to turn their good intentions into real actions.

We are extremely proud of the achievements we have been able to accomplish together and looking forward to continuing to drive innovation, sustainability initiatives, indigenous engagement and market-leading expertise.