Woolworths Group has won the coveted Gold Award at the 34th Banksia National Sustainability Awards – Australia’s longest running and prestigious sustainability awards.
Woolworths won the Gold Banksia Award and the Large Business Sustainable Leadership Award for its work in driving what was said to be “one of the deepest transformational programs” seen in an Australian company in recent years.
Woolworths Group’s more than 190,000 team members serve over 22 million customers weekly across more than 1400 stores, with the support of over 18,000 suppliers.
The company said that, as Australia and New Zealand’s largest retailer, its reach creates opportunities to make meaningful contributions to the communities it operates in, and lead important sustainability conversations that can facilitate change.
One such example of the company’s sustainability efforts includes the introduction of its reduced plastic meat trays, which since 2018, has helped the supermarket giant remove 10,000 tonnes of virgin plastic from its Own Brand packaging.
Alex Holt, chief sustainability officer at Woolworths Group, said as one of the country’s largest retailer, they know that the changes they make today can create a better tomorrow for generation to come, and they are humbled to see their efforts recognised.
“Our teams work hard to deliver quality products and value for our customers, and we want to make sustainability intrinsic to how we do that,” said Holt.
“Thank you to all our suppliers, partners, team members, and customers whose everyday actions are helping to make grocery shopping more sustainable.
“Many of the things we’re doing have been made possible thanks to the ingenuity of individuals and small businesses who are leading this technological and cultural revolution.
“We’d like to celebrate all the projects and individuals recognised by the Banksia awards for driving positive change – from Indigenous land management, to natural capital reporting, and carbon capture technology.”
The winners of the 15 awards were announced at a gala event, attended by more than 350 guests, finalists and winners at the Melbourne Convention and Entertainment Centre on Thursday 23 March.
Banksia Foundation CEO Graz van Egmond said the winners were drawn from a record number of entries, demonstrating optimism and hope for a brighter future, despite fears for the economy in the short-term.
“These are Australia’s brightest leaders, changemakers and innovators who are making a positive impact on the world,” van Egmond said.
Established 34 years ago, the Banksia National Sustainability Awards recognise individuals, communities, businesses and governments for their innovation and excellence in environmental and social stewardship.
The full list of the winners and their projects can be found here.
