Swisse

Swisse is now proudly carbon balanced!

We are committed to a long-term environmental sustainability strategy. We are all about making people healthier and happier, and promoting the health and wellbeing of our planet is in complete harmony with this philosophy.

Swisse engaged the services of a third party consultant, Carbon Balanced Consulting (CBC), to conduct a carbon footprint audit of the business. This process saw us develop our carbon inventory, implement reductions and source accredited carbon offsets. The result is that Swisse is now a carbon-balanced business.

“Swisse has balanced its emission with its reductions and offsets to produce a zero net emissions.” – Carbon Balance Consulting.

The term “carbon balanced” is akin to carbon neutral, but reflects a more realistic and holistic approach to the process. Our auditor’s definition of carbon balanced is that our organisation has been audited on its greenhouse gas emissions and calculated its carbon footprint in tonnes of CO2-e. This amount has been reduced, where possible, and the residual amount has then been balanced by the purchase of accredited carbon offsets. The carbon footprint is described as the total amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions for which our organisation is responsible.

For more detail, we invite you to read our auditors report here.

We view the purchase of carbon offsets as an important way to help redress the impact our commercial operations have on the environment. It is an active way of investing in a service or action that results in an environmental benefit and helps to abate climate change.

We have created a portfolio of offsets that promotes activities and events that are important to the Swisse team and, we believe, our customers.

Here at Swisse we realise that climate change is one of the biggest issues facing the world today.

The Swisse team is extremely passionate about what the brand strives to achieve – making people healthier and happier – so our motivation to make changes that will have a positive effect on our natural environment extends beyond corporate responsibility.

Building on our years of commitment to providing premium natural health products that help Australians feel healthier and happier, Swisse has adopted a team pledge to make the world a healthier and happier place too. We’ve been making changes, big and small, to the way we do business and to the way that our Swisse team lives and breathes, because we know that every little bit counts!

By supporting Swisse, you too can make a difference! Join us on our carbon balanced journey as we continue to make efficient and effective changes to significantly decrease our carbon footprint over the coming years.

The Swisse team encourages all of our loyal customers to do their bit to support the environment too.

CLED! (“Celebrate Life Every Day!” That’s the Swisse Team Spirit!)

Radek Sali
Swisse CEO

Energy Efficient CFL’s (Department of Climate Change Greenhouse Friendly approved)

Recognising that energy efficiency is crucial to a more sustainable world, Swisse purchased 550 tonnes of demand-side abatement offsets generated from the LESS project (Low Energy Supplies & Services).

View the Carbon Offset Certificate here.

For more information, please visit www.livegreen.com.au

Carbon Sequestration – Forestry (NSW Greenhouse Gas Abatement Scheme)

Forests store or sequester carbon through the process of photosynthesis, which is one of the few carbon sinks that actually removes carbon from the atmosphere. Swisse supports the forestry offsets as an important element in providing a natural solution to climate change that also contributes to regenerating much of our natural environment and also aides in habitat creation.

View the Carbon Offset Certificate here.

For more information please visit http://www.greenhousegas.nsw.gov.au/acp/forestry.asp

100% Green electricity
As part of our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint, we have now switched over to a 100% green electricity supply created from renewable energy that does not create carbon emissions. It is estimated that this will reduce our footprint by up to 121 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Origin GreenPower
Origin is Australasia’s leading integrated energy company. Origin GreenPower is electricity that comes from a new renewable energy generation source like solar or wind. Sources must have been built after 1997 to be accredited, encouraging continuing investment in Australia’s renewable energy.

CFL Staff handout

As part of our commitment, Swisse recently provided 240 CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lightglobes) to its staff to help them reduce their footprint at home. These new globes reduce energy use by up to 80% and are estimated to save around 216 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Swisse recognises that reducing our dependence on carbon-emitting practices is a challenging and ongoing process. As an organisation, we are learning how to best understand and implement these changes in our business and believe we need to share our sustainability journey with our customers and suppliers.

Each year we will undertake an audit to calculate our carbon footprint and balance our impacts with responsible reductions and offsets. When you buy from Swisse, you know that not only are we interested in the health of people, but also the health of the planet.

About Swisse Packaging

Swisse Vitamins Australian Packaging Covenant Action Plan – July 2010 – June 2015