By collaborating with leading companies across sectors to find more sustainable solutions where applicable, and source better alternatives where possible, Bunzl’s Sustainability Ambassador Program ensures that our customer’s sustainability goals are being prioritised at a local level.
We sat down with Sustainability Ambassador Jarrod O’Shannessy, National Corporate Account Manager – Healthcare at Bunzl Australia and New Zealand, to discuss why he chose to become apart of the program and the importance of sustainability in the Healthcare Industry.
Why did you become a Sustainability Ambassador?
I was nominated by my manager to become a Sustainability Ambassador, which was very welcoming and something I was excited to become a part of. Being a Sustainability Ambassador means a lot to me, particularly as it’s an efficient avenue for me to keep up to date with all the current legislations and policies in regards to sustainability, while also allowing me to feed this information back to the Corporate Healthcare team and my customers – which is a large benefit to them.
Do you have any personal goals when it comes to sustainability in your industry?
My personal goals align with my ability to support my customers with any sustainability goals they may have, and the ability to provide knowledge and guidance when questions arise on a topic [like sustainability] that everyone is wanting to learn about.
What are you most excited to work with your customers about in the sustainability space?
I am most excited to guide my customers through the Single Use Plastic bans and providing them better alternatives to plastic whenever and wherever possible.
The biggest step I’ve taken with my customers is to look at an alternative disposable spoon for medication rounds across aged care facilities and hospitals. Working with the Bunzl ANZ Category and Procurement team, we’ve been sending out samples of a paper spoon for trials and excited to hear feedback on them. The main goal of this trial is to assist the resident taking medication, while negating any concerns that it will leave a bad taste in their mouth.
Is there anything that you’d like to see more of when it comes to sustainability?
Sustainability isn’t a new conversation when it comes to the Healthcare industry, however that conversation can often be put on hold in favour of other conversations that are seen as more important – particularly with what we’ve seen happening over the past few years. I’d like to see even more plans put in place and followed through by organisations so that sustainability can become a main focus point of industry decision making.
What changes do you find most exciting surrounding sustainability in your space?
I find it exciting to see that sustainability is now at the forefront of everyone’s mind when it comes to sustainability.
We no longer put this subject at the end of a presentation or tacked on as an extra aspect [of our service], but instead it’s become embedded in everything that we do. The attention sustainability is now getting is what it deserves, and sustainability initiative ideas are becoming even more creative and more accessible for different businesses. The use of social media also means we can reach a broader audience, and this has been welcomingly led by the younger generation coming through, which is very refreshing.
Contact your Bunzl Representative to find out how Bunzl can help you meet your sustainability goals.
