Why BioPak Is A Profit For Purpose Business

biopak profit for purpose

At BioPak, we believe we have an obligation to preserve and protect the environment and give back to the communities we live in. It’s all part of being a socially and environmentally responsible business and certified B Corporation. 

We’re focused on giving our customers and end-consumers the confidence that BioPak is making a real difference in the shift to a sustainable world – one that favours the circular economy and creates a promising future for the next generations.

So, when we are asked why BioPak is a profit-for-purpose business, our answer is always – why not?

What Makes BioPak Profit-For-Purpose?

When you partner with BioPak, you’re working with a company that considers our impact, on people and the planet, every step of the way. Here are a few of the steps we are taking as a profit-for-purpose business. 

Championing the Circular Economy

Here are a few of the ways we’re championing the transition to a circular economy with our industry-leading products made from plants. 

Materials

Our product range is predominantly made from rapidly renewable, plant-based materials and includes certified compostable items.

Production

The majority of our suppliers' manufacturing facilities are certified to ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems, and two are in the process of achieving certifications. 

Education

We educate both businesses and consumers on the advantages of using plant-based products over fossil fuel derived products, as well as ways to spot and avoid greenwashing. This has the power to drive change in consumption and purchase behaviour. 

Recycling

We still face challenges with the end of life disposal of our compostable products – some of our packaging will inevitably end up in landfill. To combat this, we’re working on an emissions reduction roadmap that will see us invest in local composting infrastructure projects that help divert packaging and food waste from landfills. We also started Compost Connect – our not-for-profit composting initiative connecting foodservice businesses to commercial composters (learn more about Compost Connect below).

a detailed diagram of the circular economy. On the right, it shows the linear economy: raw materials > production > use > waste. On the left, it shows the circular economy in the shape of a circle. Raw materials > production > use > recycling.a detailed diagram of the circular economy. On the right, it shows the linear economy: raw materials > production > use > waste. On the left, it shows the circular economy in the shape of a circle. Raw materials > production > use > recycling.

We Are Industry Leaders

At BioPak, we lead by example and show other businesses in the foodservice sector that we can successfully operate with sustainability in mind, while constantly striving to improve our processes.

From day one, BioPak has disrupted the food packaging industry by producing plant-based certified compostable packaging. Today, many businesses have followed suit and have started to produce their own lines of compostable packaging. 

We act as educators to inform our customers, and the public of single-use plastic bans and why compostable and renewable materials are better for our environment. We think outside the box and create extensions of our business, like Compost Connect, to help combat waste in the hospitality industry. We work closely with local governments to understand what changes are coming so we can adapt quickly and provide alternative solutions that comply with legislation. 

We Are B Corp Certified

Certified B Corp logo over forest Certified B Corp logo over forest

In 2018, BioPak became a certified B Corp. Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. 

BioPak not only wanted to do business in the best way, but have a certification to verify it. Becoming B Corp certified is a rigorous process. Businesses must recertify every 3 years to hold their certification. Read more about what it means to be a B Corp.

Our Give Back Fund

We give back to the communities we operate in by donating 5% of our profits to environmental and social charities to bring about positive change. We call it our Give Back Fund. Since 2012, we have donated over AUD $4.7 million.

As part of our Give Back Fund, we donate to Rainforest Rescue, Oz Harvest, MedEarth and many other charities.

Rainforest Rescue

Tree planting with Rainforest RescueTree planting with Rainforest Rescue

Rainforest Rescue is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to protecting and restoring rainforests for over two decades. They provide opportunities for individuals and businesses to get their hands dirty, plant trees and help protect rainforests. 

BioPak has been working with Rainforest Rescue since we established our Give Back Fund in 2012. Since this time, we’ve helped them safeguard and plant 90,947 trees, as well as help purchase land that the organisation can protect. You can read more about Rainforest Rescue in our charity profile.

How Tree Planting Makes a Difference
biopak profit for purpose initiative rainforest restoration with rainforest rescuebiopak profit for purpose initiative rainforest restoration with rainforest rescue

Planting trees and protecting forests is incredibly important to improve the health of the planet and fight climate change. Forests are considered the ‘lungs of the earth’ because of their ability to draw in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. Forest restoration and protection is also a way to mitigate biodiversity loss.

At BioPak, we don’t just support Rainforest Rescue, we also support Greenfleet and Ecologi to preserve and protect endangered rainforests. 

The truth is, every business contributes to carbon emissions, and we must take responsibility for them. Did you know that planting trees and other flora can sequester carbon? Plants physically suck the carbon from the atmosphere and help fight climate change. The more trees we plant, the better!

OzHarvest

OzHarvest X BioPak Christmas CupOzHarvest X BioPak Christmas Cup

OzHarvest is Australia's leading food rescue organisation, collecting quality excess food from commercial outlets and delivering it directly to more than 1300 charities supporting people in need across the country.

We’re excited to support this wonderful organisation in saving food and helping to feed those who need it the most. We’ve recently launched our OzHarvest Christmas Cups (starting in 2022), which featured a QR code that customers could scan to take them directly to the OzHarvest website and select an amount to donate. This cup also read “for the cost of a coffee, you can feed people in need”, showing that $5 = 10 meals. 5% of profits from the sale of these cups were donated directly to OzHarvest. Read more about OzHarvest in our charity profile. 

Compost Connect

Person throwing BioCup into Compost Connect compost binPerson throwing BioCup into Compost Connect compost bin

In 2021, BioPak founded Compost Connect in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom as part of our Extended Producer Responsibility. 

Compost Connect is a not-for-profit platform connecting foodservice businesses to commercial composters, helping to divert their food and packaging waste from landfill.

We believe that every business manufacturing goods must take responsibility for their product’s end of life. Compost Connnect is an ever-evolving platform that supports foodservice businesses that use compostable packaging and connects them with industrial composters. Through Compost Connect, they’re able to schedule regular pick-ups of their organic waste and certified compostable packaging. 

This platform is not just for food services businesses, but for consumers as well. Compost Connect provides a wide array of education on composting, local government FOGO initiatives, and a map to show cafes, restaurants and businesses that are composting. We’re active members of the composting community and liaise with local governments to remain on top of local composting legislation. You can read more about Compost Connect here

Extended Producer Responsibility

A person wearing blue jeans and a black shirt throws compostable packaging into a Compost Connect bin.A person wearing blue jeans and a black shirt throws compostable packaging into a Compost Connect bin.

Composting is easy, saves on general waste costs, and helps fight climate change. It’s the perfect solution for the foodservice industry, which generates significant food waste and uses single-use packaging that contaminates plastic and paper recycling. 

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy approach where producers take a significant responsibility – financial, physical or both – for the treatment or disposal of their post-consumer products.

BioPak takes this seriously – EPR is necessary to deliver a circular economy model for all industries. We’re not only focused on the foodservice packaging we produce, but we wanted a solution for all industry players producing packaging. Compost Connect gives us all a forum to accept responsibility and contribute towards the collection and processing infrastructure required to recover and repurpose all our compostable products after use.

Without a collaborative and proactive approach, the collection and recycling of single-use foodservice disposables are unlikely to be meaningfully scaled. That means hundreds of thousands of tonnes of food, and food-contaminated single-use disposables, will continue to end up in landfills and pollute the environment.

Join the growing number of responsible QSRs and compostable packaging suppliers on the Compost Connect platform, and together let's close the loop and eliminate waste. We can make a global impact, all by making changes at the local level.

Together, We Are Making a Positive Difference

Every year, we celebrate the positive impact we have on the planet together with our customers in our relentless journey towards a circular economy. 

BioPak customers have been making a big difference. In 2023, they avoided 23,624 tonnes of plastic, planted 28,765 trees, donated 148,622 meals and impacted 133,515 lives.

BioPak impact posterBioPak impact poster
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