Komatsu Australia’s partnership with Endeavour Foundation is helping people with disabilities and the environment.
Komatsu Australia has renewed its partnership with disability service organisation Endeavour Foundation, which will provide more employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
The partnership between the two organisations provides employment opportunities for people within Komatsu’s Oil Wear Analysis (KOWA) area. Employees help clean recycled plastic canisters, used as part of KOWA, so they can be re-used up to six times.
The partnership was established in 2021, but the renewal extends the agreement by another three years.
Russell Hodson, Komatsu Australia’s executive general manager for supply chain, said the company was excited to continue the partnership with the Endeavour Foundation.
“We’ve been able to not only offer meaningful employment to a number of people, but with more than 30 per cent of Komatsu’s plastic packaging waste generated through our KOWA bottles this program and partnership also means we can significantly reduce the volume of plastic packaging waste that we are sending to landfill,” he said.
“As a large, global company, we are always looking at ways we can use our presence to bring about some good in the world.
“This partnership is just one of the ways we are focusing on our ESG principles – it helps Komatsu reduce their environmental footprint, while also providing some meaningful employment to people with disabilities – and has proved to be such an important part of our overall supply chain in the KOWA division.”
Endeavour Foundation is an independent organisation that supports people with disabilities through independent living or other forms of accommodation, community initiatives and employment opportunities.
According to Hodson, since 2021, the initiative has helped 450,000 KOWA bottles be recycled and prevented 12,000kg of waste going to landfill.
Shannon Foley, executive general manager for work at Endeavour Foundation, said being employed was a key goal for many people with disabilities.
“Meaningful employment is valuable to everyone, and we’re proud to play our part by helping to create roles for people with disability,” Foley said.
“We’re looking forward to continuing to work together with Komatsu on this valuable initiative and seeing what other future opportunities we can create.”
Back in 2021, Komatsu Australia introduced more sustainable packaging for its plastic bottles and packaging, which customers receive as part of the KOWA samples.
The company made the change so the yellow outer plastic bottles used for collecting the KOWA oil samples would be 100 per cent recycled plastics. The sample registration card and delivery boxes were also switched to be made from 100 per cent recycled paper and cardboard.
The move initially accounted for around 100,000 sample kits used by Komatsu Australia’s customers on the East Coast. According to the company, customers in that region accounted for 60 per cent of the oil samples collected from Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia each year.
By the company’s measure, the sustainable initiative accounts for 10 tonnes less of packaging materials going to landfills annually.
According to Komatsu Australia, this is part of how it has taken steps to ensure it meets its corporate social responsibility principles.
“This sourcing strategy for our oil sample bottles allows us to contribute to our strategic goal of zero harm by significantly reducing the environmental impact of our current method of procuring and managing KOWA bottles,” Hodson said.
The change to lighter packaging allowed for smaller-dimension packing, which meant more kits could be stacked on the pallet, reducing transport costs and logistics for Komatsu Australia’s customers across the country.
“Komatsu’s KOWA oil sampling services are critical to our customers and our business,” Hodson said.
“This new sourcing strategy allows us to reduce landfill and carbon emissions, without compromising quality or security of supply – and at no extra cost to customers. Initiatives such as our recycled, reusable KOWA bottles are another step on this journey.”•
For more information, visit komatsu.com.au
