Indigenous business drives use of ecologically-responsible products for expanding retail network.

 

A partnership between Telstra and Australia’s largest Indigenous-owned office supplier shows that social and ecological benefits need never be sacrificed to sound commercial outcomes.

 

With the arrival of a new online catalogue from Muru Office Supplies in February, Telstra employees have been assured that their workplace purchases will contribute to positive social outcomes in First Nations communities – while not ‘costing the earth’ in terms of their ecological impact.

 

Adrian Mayer, procurement lead in Telstra’s supplier governance team, said: “Gone are the single-use plastics that used to play a big part in our office kitchens and functions. Gone are the polystyrene food and drink containers. Gone are printing paper that is anything less than 100 per cent recycled, and generic ink cartridges that once polluted local landfills.

 

“Instead, Muru is committing to selling only ecologically-responsible products, and to only funding deliveries worth $75 or more – a way of breaking our old addiction to polluting deliveries by road,” he said.

 

“A lot of people see supplier diversity as charity, driven out of the business’s corporate responsibility arm,” Mayer said. “But while it provides us with an opportunity to scale impact, it also drives shared value outcomes for the company, its customers, and the broader community.”

 

With Telstra’s network of fully-owned retail stores set to quadruple over the next two years, a recent review of the company’s procurement program suggested it can achieve significant savings by consolidating its office supplies through Muru in a joint venture with Complete Office Supplies. 

 

In 2010, Mitchell Ross (pictured) launched an IT services business supporting small businesses, and in 2012 transitioned to stationery by establishing Muru Office Supplies with the backing of COS and support from the Indigenous certification network, Supply Nation. 

 

After securing Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue Metals as a customer, the company has taken off in recent years, adding CommBank, Boral, KPMG and Qantas to its growing list of customers.