Sustainability

We care about the world we live in.

The world means the world to us, and we want to make it a more thoughtful, sustainable and caring place.

Our Sustainability Promise

Our aim is to achieve sustainable progress through continued industry leadership and engagement, by partnering with our clients, supply chain partners, the greeting cards industry and by leveraging our global knowledge and talent.

Guiding us in our mission are our core values of Creativity, Collaboration, Innovation, People and Success. To help fulfil this mission and under the guidance of these values, John Sands aims to pioneer new solutions and continuously improve business practices whilst aligning our goals to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Our sustainability activities are organised into three primary pillars: People, Planet and Product.

We work together to have a positive impact on the world we live in, today and tomorrow.

We identify opportunities to increase sustainability, wherever we can
We share our success, our failures and our ideas, and we build on them, to create positive change
We actively inspire our co-workers, families, friends and neighbours to live a more sustainable life
Ensure our efforts make a difference
We realise this job is never finished and will continue to grow, develop and change
We form alliances with partners across the world who bring different ideas and perspectives to achieve common goals

To deliver on our sustainability commitments, it’s important to stay connected with our stakeholders and empower our employees to act and report on our progress transparently.

Governance: Responsibility for sustainability goes right to the top of our company, with our Managing Director Jacky Letford approving and guiding our direction. Our Sustainability Lead is supported by key stakeholders and experts within each key area of focus: People, Product and Planet. Our Leadership Team helps to manage our strategy and make sure we’re making progress every single day.
Transparency and communications: We will apply best practice in reporting openly and clearly on our strategy, progress and aims for the future by publishing an annual Sustainability report.
Stakeholder engagement: We engage with the people connected by our business – including government agencies, customers and suppliers – to understand the major social, economic and environmental challenges we face as an industry. This helps us to review the issues that matter most to our business and stakeholders, prioritise risks and identify the areas where we stand to make the biggest possible difference.
Employee engagement: We empower our employees to be the best they can be, and contribute their skills, passion and knowledge to advance our sustainability journey and support the local communities where we live and work.

Sustainability @ John Sands

Sustainable Development Goals

In a rapidly changing world, the global community must act now to prevent climate change, conserve natural resources and help everyone live well within the limits of the planet.

Plastics & Packaging

Packaging plays a vital role in protecting products in transit and when it reaches stores. But certain types of packaging, especially single-use plastic, can create waste, polluting our oceans and environment.

Product

Greeting cards mark special moments in people’s lives and many of our cards are kept and enjoyed for years. Our aim is to offer our customers cards that bring joy and respect the environment.

Responsible Business Practice

As part of a global company sourcing raw materials and products from across the world, it’s vital that we trade fairly and ethically with our suppliers and support them in protecting the environment and promoting workers’ rights.

Global Transport & Logistics

The global transport system is estimated to account for 14% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. To help prevent climate change and reduce our carbon footprint, we are innovating to promote lower carbon transport and distribution throughout the journey of our products.

People

We boast some of the most loyal, committed and ambitious people in the industry. We are diverse, talented and engaged.

Community

As an employer with over 600 employees across Australia and New Zealand, we’re passionate about making a positive impact within the communities where we live and work.

Waste Management

Preventing waste is central to conserving natural resources and protecting our environment. That’s why we maintain a keen focus on waste prevention, reuse and recycling.

Environmental Impact

With nearly 10 billion people projected to be on the planet by 2050, it’s vital that we protect our environment and conserve natural resources. We’re passionate about working smarter to improve our environmental impact by saving energy, improving our energy efficiency and preventing waste.

FSC® Documentation

John Sands Australia Ltd has ensured its operations meet all of the FSC® core labour requirements.