Environment, sustainability

& supply chain

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Creating bright futures through sustainability

As Australia’s largest supplier of resources to schools, we are committed to promoting sustainability, reducing our impact on the environment and achieving an ethical supply chain, to help build a brighter future for generations to come.

We recycle books, cartons and cardboard

Each year, Campion Education recycles more than 25 tonnes of cardboard. 100% of the funds generated from our cardboard recycling are donated to the St Vincent de Paul Society, assisting people experiencing poverty and inequality and working to shape a more just and compassionate society. Funds raised from recycling go to programs such as Vinnies Home Assist, helping families who are struggling to pay their rent to get them back on their feet and stay in their homes. Annual recycling of 25 tonnes of cardboard (0) is equivalent to savings of more than 90,000 km driven (1) or more than 15 tonnes of CO2e (2). Each year we also recycle thousands of out-of-print books that can’t be re-used, in partnership with publishers, to ensure recyclable materials don’t enter landfill.

Packaging

Campion Education strives to utilise packaging options that are environmentally sustainable, Australian made and recyclable or re-usable wherever possible.

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Boxes

Campion Education’s boxes are made from between 78% and 100% recycled material and are 100% recyclable. Simply place them in your recycling bin.

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Packing Pellets

Some of our deliveries use Envirofill packing pellets in the boxes to provide cushioning and protect your products.

These pellets are made in Australia with Australian wheat starch and other raw materials.

Envirofill pellets are 100% biodegradable and water-soluble. They can be safely disposed of in your compost, or easily dissolved in warm water in your sink.

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Air Pillows

For some of our deliveries, your products are protected with void fill air pillows. These air pillows are made from at least 50% recycled material and they can be recycled at soft plastics recycling centres (when available).

Our supplier is a member of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, The alliance is committed to develop, deploy and bring to scale solutions to reuse, recover and recycle plastics to keep them out of the environment.

Retail Service Centres

Our Retail Service Centres in every state offer either boxes, cloth bags, paper bags or re-usable plastic bags.

To encourage sustainable choices, Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) is invited or cloth bags and boxes are available for just $2. Plastic bags (and paper bags in WA) are also available.

Our plastic bags are re-usable (60 microns in thickness) and 100% degradable. The bags contain an additive called EPI, a totally degradable plastic additive (TDPA) that is used to help break down the molecules that hold the plastic together, so that it degrades, shatters and eventually biodegrades. Our degradable retail bags have a life of approximately 3 years once they are exposed to sunlight and water, so they can be re-used many times before they begin to degrade. Find out more.

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Reducing printing each year

Campion Education has an ongoing focus on reducing the amount of printing and paper we use as a business, actively monitoring and working to reduce office printing. Our laser print cartridges are recycled at our three main sites.

We are also working with our school customers to reduce printing and with their help, and recently we have significantly reduced the number of printed resource lists, saving many trees worth of paper. Thank you to our schools for their ongoing commitment to helping us to reduce our environmental impact.

Environmental Accreditations

Campion Education chooses to partner with suppliers who are committed to a sustainable approach and reducing their environmental impact. Here are some of our key suppliers’ environmental accreditations.

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®)

FSC® certification follows the wood from the forest to the final product, providing a guarantee to consumers that the timber or paperboard used came from responsibly managed forests.

Our key stationery suppliers are certified with the FSC® standard. The FSC® Trademark enables consumers to choose products that support forest conservation, offer social benefits, and enable the market to provide an incentive for better forest management.

Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC™)

PEFC™ is an international non-profit, non-governmental organisation dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management globally.

With more than 300 million hectares of certified forests, PEFC™ is the world’s largest forest certification system. PEFC™ works throughout the entire supply chain to promote good practice in forests and to ensure that all forest products are produced with respect for the highest ecological, social and ethical standards. Our key stationery suppliers are certified with the PEFC™ standard.

Carbon Trust Standard

The Carbon Trust Standard recognises organisations that take a best practice approach to measuring and managing their environmental impacts, achieving real reductions in these year-on-year, providing a framework for organisations to enhance their operational sustainability, improve efficiency and resource management at the same time as cutting costs. One of our major publishing suppliers is accredited against the Carbon Trust Standard.

Quality System Certification — Environmental
(ISO 14001:2015) Management System

ISO 14001:2015 specifies the requirements for an environmental management system that an organisation can use to enhance its environmental performance. Our key stationery supplier is certified with ISO 14001:2015, helping them to manage environmental responsibilities in a systematic manner that contributes to the environmental pillar of sustainability.

Achieving an ethical supply chain

At The Campion Group, we understand the importance of transparency in our supply chain and the role it plays in preventing modern slavery. We believe that it is our responsibility to take a proactive approach in identifying and addressing potential risks of modern slavery in our supply chain. To this end, we are continually working to advance our understanding of our supply chains with a focus on ethical sourcing. We conduct thorough due diligence on our suppliers and business partners, and we work closely with them to ensure that they share our commitment to preventing modern slavery.
We also provide training to our employees on how to identify and report instances of modern slavery, and we have reporting mechanisms in place so team members can report any concerns without fear of retribution.
Ending modern slavery is a global challenge, and we are committed to working collaboratively with our partners to share best practices and work towards a common goal.

°Data for cardboard — cartons (Commercial & Industrial and Construction & Demolition recycling only) contained in Table 4 (p.14) Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW (2010) Environmental Benefits of Recycling, DECCW, Sydney South
*“Everyday” greenhouse gas emission savings expressed as number of kilometers driven by an average new passenger and light commercial vehicle (206.6g CO2e / km). National Transport Commission (2012) Carbon Dioxide Emissions from New Australian Vehicles 2011 Information Paper
¹“Everyday” water savings corresponding to average sized bath tubs (0.175 kL capacity)
²“Everyday” cumulative energy demand savings expressed as average household monthly electricity requirements (500 kWh). 1GJ LHV = 278kWh (GJ LHV = Giga-joules of fossil energy (low heating value); kWh = Kilowatt hour)
³“Everyday” solid waste savings represented by number of average sized wheelie bins (55kg capacity)