At FastAid, Sustainability is about always getting better at doing the right things. We understand that our approach to sustainability will have an impact on people’s lives, and the communities and environments in which they live. We are passionate about our obligation to work today on things that will create a stronger tomorrow.
ECO360: Cyclic first aid waste diversion program
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Defining Sustainability (S.P.E.C.)
At FastAid, sustainability is defined as continually getting better at doing the right things. This will have a positive impact on people’s lives, and the communities and environments in which they live.
Our Sustainability Strategy (S.P.E.C.)
Our Sustainability Strategy has four essential pillars, known as ‘SPEC’:
(S) Sustainable supply chain
(P) Sustainable products
(E) Sustainable environmental impacts
(C) Sustainable communities
SPEC is an acronym defining our four sustainability pillars: sustainable supply chain, sustainable products, sustainable environmental impacts, and sustainable communities. These pillars are not necessarily in order of importance (they are all important), rather simply ordered in a way to be memorable for our team and keep it front of mind.
We have selected these four pillars as areas of focus that we believe have the most impact on a more sustainable future. We support the principles of the UN Global Compact and focus on key sustainability projects and goals that align with our values, as we believe we must act with conviction.
Leadership
In conjunction with the FastAid Board, the Managing Director takes the lead and final responsibility for sustainability goals and initiatives and is responsible to work with relevant Team Leaders to ensure supporting projects are planned and executed on. The Managing Director provides sustainability progress reports back to the Board on a consistent basis where progress is reviewed against agreed goals, and the Sustainability Strategy is challenged for relevancy and potential improvements. The Sustainability Strategy is intended to be a living document that responds to risk and opportunities as they arise.
Team alignment
We understand that to deliver outcome-based sustainability projects and initiatives it is important that our team is aligned with clearly articulated goals. Within the four pillars of our Sustainability Strategy, we have identified ‘SMART’ goals that support each pillar. A critical part of maintaining team alignment is reviewing progress or ‘checking the pulse’, done through a structured series of meetings and team events.
Delivering on our commitments
Each team has 90-day sprint plans which include key milestones for each of their relevant sustainability projects. Teams meet through a combination of daily huddles, weekly focus sessions and monthly progress meetings to ensure we are on track to deliver on each milestone. We work closely with various stakeholders along the way to ensure ongoing alignment and flow of communication.
Quarterly board reviews track progress on our sustainability commitments and ensure that our goals and strategy remain relevant to shifting market demands and changing economic, social, environmental, policy and political landscapes both domestically and internationally.
Annual strategy and goal setting sessions review longer term goals to ensure they also remain relevant, and to identify specific milestones to form part of our team 90-day sprints.
Understanding our responsibilities and commitments and delivering on them is an essential part of realising our vision to be the most trusted leader of innovative and sustainable first aid solutions in Australia.
Sustainability Deliverables
FastAid has an enduring dedication to working closely with our suppliers, contract production facilities and delivery partners to ensure a sustainable approach to sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution.
We believe a partnership approach for any stakeholders in our supply chain delivers the best results and ensures we can consistently delivery high quality products to our customers.
- Sustainable supply chain (S)
- Sustainable products (P)
- Sustainable environmental impacts (E)
- Sustainable communities (C)
To request a copy of our Sustainability Framework which identifies our Sustainability Deliverables, please contact us.
Sustainable Supply Chain
FastAid has an enduring dedication to working closely with our suppliers, contract production facilities and delivery partners to ensure a sustainable approach to sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution.
We believe a partnership approach for any stakeholders in our supply chain delivers the best results and ensures we can consistently delivery high quality products to our customers.
COVID-19 has presented us with unique and unprecedented challenges in our supply chain. It has been an interesting and very illuminating experience resulting in projects to further strengthen our ability to manufacture and deliver product. Challenges were not specific to FastAid, they applied to the entire medical industry.
Supply chain priorities
As a result of the pandemic, we have reviewed our supply chain priorities and added our Supplier Security and Continuity program to our list of supply chain projects, which are as follows:
- Launch Ethical Sourcing & Modern Slavery Policy
- Review supplier inspections process to ensure compliance with procurement policies
- Conduct a supplier certification audit to review compliance and validity to ISO13485 and EC Certificates Directive 93/42/EEC, including new potential suppliers
- Conduct internal systems review and audit for ISO9001 and ISO14001 certification
- Launch Supplier Security and Continuity program to ensure our existing suppliers remain sustainable and broaden our supply base to ensure our supply chain remains secure
Ethical Sourcing & Modern Slavery Policy
Operating with integrity and ‘doing the right thing’ has been embedded in how we do business since day one.
To be truly successful, sustainable ethical sourcing will become a part of how we as an organisation are working today for a stronger tomorrow. We are committed to high standards of ethical conduct by working with our suppliers to positively influence our social, ethical, and environmental performance, and the impacts that has on people’s lives and the communities they live in.
Download our Ethical Sourcing & Modern Slavery Policy
Sustainable Products
FastAid has a strong commitment to providing our customers with quality, proven and reliable products that they can trust, to help them achieve a safer, 100% first aid compliant and prepared workplace.
Innovative and solution oriented first aid products are the core of our business. We are passionate about continuing to improve and enhance product performance and manufacturing processes to help deliver more sustainable first aid products.
Our products and the environment
We understand that we have a responsibility to continually review our products to ensure they are as environmentally sustainable as possible. As a result, we have identified key projects to assist us in making our products more sustainable.
- Commit to 0% plastic retail packaging by end 2021
- APCO Membership and commence packaging review
- Product waste reduction and efficiency actions identified through Carbon Neutral analysis, our sustainability partners
- Launch ECO360 - Australia’s first cyclic first aid waste diversion program to reduce landfill
Compliance : TGA Registration
FastAid is registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (TGA) to guarantee that we are committed to only the highest standard of product and provide peace of mind that we only engage contraction production facilities that are compliant and certified to ISO13485 and EC Certificates Directive 93/42/EEC.
Compliance : ISO9001 and ISO14001
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Compliance : Australian Standards AS2675- 1983
FastAid will continue to ensure that our relevant R-Series and other workplace first aid kits are manufactured and equipped to the Australian Standard AS2675-1983 where relevant. We are committed to providing our customers with reliable and ‘up to spec’ first aid kits and solutions.
Compliance : WHS First Aid In The Workplace Code of Practice
FastAid will continue to ensure that our relevant R-Series and other workplace first aid kits are manufactured and equipped to the latest WHS First Aid In The Workplace Code of Practice where relevant. We are committed to providing our customers with reliable and ‘up to spec’ first aid kits and solutions.
Industry leading longest shelf life
We are committed to always providing the maximum possible shelf life or longest expiry dates on our first aid kits and consumables. Whilst other manufacturers opt for short date expiries to maximise consumer spend, we believe it is the right thing to do to maximise expiry dates to minimise consumer spend and help reduce landfill.
Sustainable Environmental Impacts
At FastAid, Sustainability is about always getting better at doing the right things. And part of that is accepting our responsibility to do what we can for a more sustainable environment. Our Environmental Sustainability Strategy is built on three principles; measure, reduce and offset.
Whilst we appreciate the fact that we are a small business operating in a very large landscape, we understand our responsibility to do what we can to minimise our impact on the environment.
We have engaged a 100% carbon neutral energy provider, accredited under the government’s Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard, who also has been awarded Australia’s greenest power company in 2020 by Finder and previously recognised by Greenpeace for three years running. (1)
We are proud of the fact that our third-party warehouse and distribution centre in Eastern Creek, New South Wales is a five-star certified building by Green Star, an internationally recognised sustainability rating system for buildings. Green Star rated buildings use 66% less electricity (2) and 62% fewer greenhouse gas emissions (2) than average Australian city buildings, contributing to reducing our environmental impact whilst also improving the health and wellbeing of occupants. Our distribution facility is also nearing achievement of a 100% electrified forklift and manual handling fleet, contributing to a cleaner, safer and more efficient work environment.
By the end of CY2021 we are aiming for 100% alignment with the 2025 National Packaging Targets including: 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging, and 70% of plastic packaging being recycled or composted. (3) We are serious about our journey towards a circular economy for packaging, ensuring our packaging is sustainable and contributing towards reducing landfill. We are also actively working on our new LOOP concept, a cyclic first aid waste diversion program to recycle first aid kit cases, consumables, and consumable packaging waste, offering Australia a more sustainable way to do workplace first aid.
Our three environmental sustainability principles
Our Environmental Sustainability Strategy is built on three principles; measure, reduce and offset. It is a cyclic process of identification, change and improvement to enable better environmental outcomes. The old saying applies; what gets measured gets managed.
1. Measure
We work closely with our environmental sustainability partners at Carbon Neutral who conduct complex assessments to measure our carbon footprint and evaluate where energy is consumed.
2. Reduce
From the assessments conducted by Carbon Neutral, ways to improve our carbon footprint and reduce greenhouse gas emissions are identified, and carbon reduction programmes established.
3. Offset
For our unavoidable emissions we will compensate through carbon offsets by supporting carbon projects that benefit both the environment and sustainable development for local communities.
Our goal
Through applying our measure, reduce and offset principles, we will achieve 100% Carbon Neutral status by 2022.
About Carbon Neutral : Our Environmental Sustainability Partners
Carbon Neutral was established in 2001 as a nonprofit in response to the growing global concern of climate change.
In the years following, an increasing demand grew among large businesses for carbon advisory and reforestation. A new entity emerged in 2013, which as a profit-for-purpose organisation allowed Carbon Neutral to cater for the gap in the market provided and deliver corporate advisory services to larger organisations.
Carbon sequestration with associated habitat restoration benefits were sought after by organisations, this interest funded the revegetation project at the Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor and allowed for it to become a large-scale program. In 2009 Carbon Neutral’s parent company Auscarbon, was the first company in Australia to produce carbon credits within the Federal Government’s Greenhouse Friendly™ accreditation framework. Since then they have been innovative in developing their own reforestation carbon offsets and Plant-a-Tree Program.
Carbon Neutral’s Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor reforestation project was the first in Australia to achieve premium Gold Standard certification, a significant achievement reached through the ability to demonstrate carbon storage for 100 years. The project delivers measurable direct environmental, social, economic and heritage benefits.
Together they have established more than 14,000 hectares of biodiverse plantings, equivalent to 2,250 Melbourne Cricket Grounds, making it the largest biodiverse reforestation carbon sink in Australia.
Carbon Neutral is a market leader with a global reputation, and one of the longest standing carbon offset providers in Australia. Their services include energy and water auditing, and carbon consulting and reduction programs. They are the developer of a Gold Standard certified reforestation project.
Carbon Neutral is a recognised offset entity under the Federal Government’s Emission Reduction Fund and are a signatory on the Australian Carbon Industry Code of Conduct.
We are excited that Carbon Neutral has partnered with FastAid to measure, reduce and neutralise our organisational carbon footprint. They are working closely with us to improve efficiency and reduce our costs to deliver positive sustainable outcomes and minimise our impact on the planet.
Through applying our measure, reduce and offset principles,
We will achieve 100% Carbon Neutral status by 2023.
Reducing waste and supporting recycling
Reducing waste is a global concern that is important to both FastAid and our customers. We are passionate about promoting a circular economy to reduce landfill and use resources wisely.
Improving packaging sustainability
We are passionate about designing packaging that supports a circular economy to reduce landfill. We also understand that we need to make it easy for consumers to recycle our packaging whilst ensuring our products are protected suitably during transport to prevent product damage, leading to waste.
FastAid is an active member of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), who is responsible for delivering the federal government’s 2025 National Packaging Targets.
We are undertaking a packaging reviews to ensure we are aligned with APCO’s Sustainable Packaging Guidelines, which provide 10 principles for packaging design:
1. Design for recovery
2. Optimise material efficiency
3. Design to reduce product waste
4. Eliminate hazardous materials
5. Use recycled materials
6. Use renewable materials
7. Design to minimise litter
8. Design for transport efficiency
9. Design for accessibility
10. Provide consumer information on sustainability
We are working closely with our suppliers on creative and innovative ways to reduce packaging waste, from manufacture right through to distribution and final delivery to the consumer to ensure alignment with APCO’s 10 principles.
A key initiative to reduce waste is replacing our existing plastic retail packaging with recyclable FSC Certified cardboard packaging. Through our APCO membership, we are committed to removing problematic plastics from our packaging in entirety by the end of 2021 as part of a global effort to reduce landfill.
We are utilising APCO’s PREP tool (Packaging Recyclability Evaluation Portal) to assesses packaging recyclability in the Australian and New Zealand recovery systems. PREP empowers us to understand whether our packaging is recyclable, non-recyclable, or conditionally recyclable – provided consumers follow a set of instructions during disposal.
We are planning on adopting the ARL (Australasian Recycling Label). The ARL is generated using the evidence supplied by PREP. Only once a business has conducted a PREP assessment can the ARL be used on pack, which is one easy label on our packaging. The ARL is enabling and making it easier for many Australians and New Zealanders to correctly recycle packaging.
We are also investigating other innovative ways to reduce the amount of packaging used in the shipping process, all contributing towards our target of 100% carbon neutral status by 2022.
Diverting landfill and increasing recycling
In FY20, we diverted 52% of the Group’s waste from landfill, and have set an ambitious target of increasing this to 75% by 2022. This improvement will primarily be a result of internal awareness around recyclability of waste packaging in our distribution facility, changing our retail packaging to recyclable cardboard and the introduction of our new partnership with Astron Sustainability.
Our partnership with Astron Sustainability is a key part of our LOOP concept, a cyclic first aid waste diversion program where we collect redundant plastic first aid cases for recycling and repurposing, preventing unnecessary waste.
Internally, we actively encourage reusable over disposable, and promote internal recycling of paper and support of recycling initiatives such as ‘Return & Earn’ scheme.
Procurement Policies
Our Ethical Sourcing & Modern Slavery Policy ensures that we only engage suppliers that act with environmental responsibility. The policy ensures that, as a minimum, suppliers comply with all applicable laws and regulations relating to the environmental impacts of their business and that waste is minimised and items recycled whenever this is practicable.
Energy Efficiency
We understand the impact that energy production has on the environment and a proactively engaging in initiatives to reduce energy consumption and support renewable energy.
GreenPower and Energy Carbon Offsets
We have engaged a 100% carbon neutral energy provider, accredited under the government’s Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard, who also has been awarded Australia’s greenest power company in 2020 by Finder and previously recognised by Greenpeace for three years running. (1)
By purchasing 50% of our electricity requirements as dedicated GreenPower we are displacing our electricity usage with certified renewable energy that has no net greenhouse gas emissions, which is done in the form of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). The government-managed GreenPower Program independently audits our energy provider each year to ensure this is the case.
Solar Power
We are pleased to have installed solar power to our head office premises, resulting in up to 60% of electricity for the site being delivered by a renewable energy source. We are actively investigating ways to improve our solar power capacity.
Green Star Accreditation
We are proud of the fact that our third-party warehouse and distribution centre in Eastern Creek, New South Wales is a five-star certified building by Green Star, an internationally recognised sustainability rating system for buildings. Green Star rated buildings use 66% less electricity (2) and 62% fewer greenhouse gas emissions (2) than average Australian city buildings, contributing to reducing our environmental impact whilst also improving the health and wellbeing of occupants.
Electric equipment fleet
Our distribution facility is also nearing achievement of a 100% electrified forklift and manual handling fleet, contributing to a cleaner, safer and more efficient work environment. This is resulting in drastically reduced carbon emissions
1): Powershop 2020
(2): Value of Green Star: A decade of environmental benefits, Green Building Council of Australia (2013).
Sustainable Communities
As a family business, family values of care, compassion and help are the principles on which we operate, and we believe that these principles are at the core of building sustainable communities both internally and externally. We actively engage with and financially support worthy causes that align with our values.
We believe these causes do admirable work towards building a more sustainable future for communities and elevating the circumstances of people within them. We recognise that our people are contributors to the communities in which they live, and we strive to provide opportunities for them to grow and prosper.
As a family business, family values of care, compassion and help are the principles on which we operate, and we believe that these principles are at the core of building sustainable communities both internally and externally.
Internally, we strive to create and maintain a work environment where everyone has an equal opportunity to grow and prosper. We invest in our people through programs such as our ‘Training Thursday’, a focus session within work hours dedicated to training and development completely funded by FastAid. We are community focused people who often take work time to engage in charitable initiatives in the wider community, and it is this spirit of generosity and thankfulness which the team thrives on. We believe that ‘giving back’ what we can, whether it be our time or financial support to charities give us a sense of purpose and fulfilment.
Externally, our charitable organisation of choice which we financially support is Rapid Relief Team, an organisation inspired by community spirit and the gift of giving, serving people with care and compassion in their time of need. We also financially support PCYC (Police Citizens Youth Clubs NSW), a charity that helps youth to survive and thrive in partnership with NSW Police. As a team we are also excited to participate in Clean Up Australia events, supporting their cause to inspire and empower communities to clean up, fix up and conserve our environment.
We thrive on a spirit of generosity. As an organisation FastAid is committed to contributing 4% of annual profits directly back into charitable causes. We are excited to be a part of and support causes that are doing their bit towards stronger and more sustainable communities.
Rapid Relief Team (RRT)
FastAid is excited to be part of the RRT, generously supporting their cause as part of our 4% annual profit allocation for charitable support. Members of our team use both work and personal time to engage in RRT initiatives as part of our effort to give back to communities in need.
Inspired by community spirit and the gift of giving, the Rapid Relief Team (RRT) serves people with care and compassion in their time of need.
RRT offers quality catering assistance and tangible support to charities, government and emergency services confronting some of humankind’s greatest challenges. RRT adapts their benevolent support services to meet the need at hand. Whether it be fire, drought or even a global pandemic, RRT volunteers bring hope to people in their time of need.
More information on RRT can be found at www.rrtglobal.org
RRT Fire Relief
Beyond serving firefighters food and refreshments on the front line, RRT launched two new initiatives (Rapid Water Systems and Operation Fire Relief) to assist Australia’s firefighting efforts, and to help families who lost everything in Australia’s 2019/2020 catastrophic bushfire season.
Rapid Water Systems was designed and engineered to rapidly pump water from previously inaccessible water sources to the fire front, filling four large firetrucks in less than three minutes. This innovative initiative allowed firefighters to spend more time on the front line, and less time finding water sources. Impressively, 4.5 million litres of water pumped in 6 weeks!
Operation Fire Relief was designed to bring fire ravaged communities together, and support families who lost their home to the bushfires by donating a $1,000 Eftpos gift card, RRT Food Boxes, and Cookie the Kookaburra to children affected. 682 families were generously gifted a $1,000 Eftpos gift card.
RRT Drought Relief
FastAid is registered on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (TGA) to guarantee that we are committed to only the highest standard of product and provide peace of mind that we only engage contraction production facilities that are compliant and certified to ISO13485 and EC Certificates Directive 93/42/EEC.
RRT Food Boxes
In Q1 of CY2021, our certified partners at Fortunity and Sustainable Certification will be auditing and reviewing our internal systems and process to achieve ISO9001 and ISO14001 certification. Whilst we have comprehensive and proven internal systems, it is important we can provide the guarantee to all stakeholders that we perform to global benchmarks for quality and environmental standards.
PCYC (Police Citizens Youth Clubs NSW)
FastAid is pleased to financially support PCYC (Police Citizens Youth Clubs NSW), a charity that helps youth to survive and thrive in partnership with NSW Police, as part of our 4% annual profit allocation for charitable support. We believe the youth are the potential of tomorrow.
PCYC NSW is a registered charity, who’s mission is to empower young people to reach their potential through Police and community partnerships.
With over 65 clubs across the state, PCYC provides quality activities and programs in a safe, fun and friendly environment.
The aim of PCYC is to engage with, and positively influence their 70,000+ youth members through mainstream sport, recreation, education, leadership and cultural programs.
In addition, the PCYC work with at-risk youth to break the cycle of disadvantage through crime prevention, vocational education, youth capacity building and social responsibility programs to change the life outcomes of over 1500+ youth per year.
We also donate first aid kits to PCYC for use in their clubs.
More information on PCYC NSW can be found at www.pcycnsw.org.au
Clean Up Australia
As a team we are excited to participate in Clean Up Australia events, supporting their cause to inspire and empower communities to clean up, fix up and conserve our environment.
What was started thirty years ago, by an “average Australian bloke” who had a simple idea to make a difference in his own backyard has now become the nation’s largest community-based environmental event.
Over the past three decades, Clean Up Australia has evolved into an organisation that works with community, government and businesses to provide practical solutions to help us all live more sustainably every day of the year. Today their focus is as much on preventing rubbish entering our environment as it is removing what has already accumulated.
FastAid engages in the annual Business Clean Up Day event where our team takes work time to get involved in a local clean up, whilst also financially supporting Clean Up Australia.
ECO360: Cyclic first aid waste diversion program
ECO360 is Australia’s first cyclic first aid solution design by FastAid to reduce waste and improve product sustainability through resource recovery.
With many organisations throughout Australia seeking a new way to self-manage workplace first aid through our EasyRefill first aid kit, disposing of old first aid kits in a way that prevents waste has proven to be challenging. This is often a barrier to adopting EasyRefill, which is FastAid’s unique way of putting workplaces back in control of their first aid to ensure they are compliant, prepared and ready to respond.
This is where ECO360 steps in. ECO360 is an innovative way of recovering usable first aid consumables for donation to charities and worthy organisations who provide help to those in need. In addition, we recycle the returned plastic and metal first aid cases for repurposing, reducing the amount of first aid product entering landfill.
ECO360 is a step in the right direction to a more sustainable future that not only reduces landfill, but also supports our communities whilst assisting organisations with reaching their sustainability goals.
1. Register – signup, select your first aid kit and order your quantity
2. Receive – take delivery & install your new first aid kits
3. Return – package your old unwanted first aid kits back into our boxes & return
4. Recover – our partners at Afford (Australian Foundation for Disability) will sort and store recoverable first aid items
5. Reuse – we will distribute recovered first aid items to those in need in partnership with our friends at Givit & animal welfare groups
6. Recycle – we will recycle old plastic and metal first aid cases through our partners at Vanden and reputable metal recyclers