But there is a problem: we are losing forests at an alarming rate, with over 8.4 million soccer fields worth of Amazon Forest being cleared between 2009-2019 alone as a result of agricultural land clearing and illegal logging. 

Officeworks has long been committed to the sustainable sourcing of paper and wood-based products and has a zero-tolerance approach for illegally logged timber entering its supply chain. Officeworks’ approach is underpinned by its Sustainable Wood-Fibre Sourcing Policy, credible third-party certification and supply chain transparency requirements to inform sourcing decisions.  

To support the industry to transition to more sustainable forestry practices, in 2016 Officeworks established a long-term target that all paper products sold at Officeworks needed to be either FSC certified or made from 100 per cent recycled content. As of 30 June 2021, over 8,200 products representing 99 per cent of office supplies & educational products sold met this criteria. This includes 132 products supplied by an international brand, which while they are not FSC certified underwent an independent review that satisfied Officeworks they meet similar forestry standards. Officeworks recognises that this significant achievement has only been possible due to the ongoing commitment and support of suppliers and partners over the last five years.  For the remaining 400 products that do not yet meet this criterion, Officeworks has detailed action plans in place which involve either transitioning or replacing these items at a later stage.  

With the completion of the initial sustainable wood-fibre sourcing goal, Officeworks’ focus now moves towards its broader commitment to ensure that paper and timber products, products containing palm oil and paper-based product packaging does not contain deforested materials.  

Officeworks is not just committed to sourcing more sustainable timber-based products; it wants to play an active part in protecting the world’s forests for the future. That is why Officeworks established its Restoring Australia initiative, to restore landscapes across the country by planting two trees for every one used, based on the weight of paper products purchased by their customers.  

Officeworks’ focus for next year will be to transition more of its timber furniture to FSC certified materials. As they continue to works towards zero deforestation in its supply chain, Officeworks will broaden their scope by working with suppliers to improve transparency of their packaging materials to ensure they are sourced from legal and responsible sources.