BioPak has been committed to sustainability from inception and have continuously worked to improve our sustainability practices and supply chain. One of our primary objectives is to replace fossil fuel-based plastic products with sustainable alternatives made from plant-based materials. To achieve this, we have developed bioplastic-lined coffee cups and containers made from sugarcane pulp/bagasse and CPLA (bioplastic made from plants) certified compostable to Australian and European standards. These products can be turned into nutrient-rich compost and food scraps at the end of their life.
We encourage our customers to switch to sustainable alternatives by regularly updating them about single-use plastic bans in the countries and territories we operate in, including Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK, and Europe. We have developed a webpage that illustrates which items are banned, when they were/will be banned, and the available alternatives for sale.
In addition to developing sustainable products, we help food service businesses improve their packaging. In 2022, we worked with 7 Eleven Australia to switch seven of their coffee cups from PE (conventional plastic) lined cups to industrially compostable PLA lined cups, five coffee cup lids from PET and PS (conventional plastic) to sugarcane pulp lids, and two of their plastic straws to paper. With more than 700 stores across Australia and over 80 million cups of coffee sold yearly, BioPak was able to help 7 Eleven Australia eliminate a massive amount of single-use plastic packaging, reducing their carbon emissions and complying with the new single-use plastic bans in Australia.
We are continuously researching and developing new plant-based materials for our products. We have recently invested significantly in R&D for Aqueous, a water-based lining with which we plan to replace our PLA lining. Our Aqueous BioCups have just received home composting certification in Australia (AS5810).
We also strive to achieve complete supply chain transparency and ensure our products are manufactured under ethical working conditions. To achieve this, BioPak has hired an Environment and Sustainability manager with a background in supply chain management to build our social responsibility program. Our goal is to understand and evaluate the social and environmental impact our business has on the communities in our supply chain. This has allowed us to dig deep into our supply chain to improve raw materials and product traceability and identify potential risks. Our stringent supplier selection process includes a supplier scorecard system and code of conduct to ensure our process is rigorous and standardised. In 2019, we started our own Ethical Audit Program in collaboration with our parent company, Duni Group. This program is specifically designed to address and mitigate the risks associated with our supply chain.