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Sustainability

Bunnings Airlie Beach Store Aerial View

At Bunnings we are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our operations

We are also committed to helping customers live more sustainably in the home and garden, and we are proud of the role we play in supporting local communities to make a positive difference through small but impactful actions. 

wide shot of front aisles of warehouse
We recognise that our business plays an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing climate change.

Bunnings has achieved its 100 per cent renewable electricity milestone across its Australia and New Zealand store network as part of its commitment to achieve net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.

Renewable electricity powers all Bunnings Group sites including Bunnings stores, trade centres, distribution centres, store support locations, Tool Kit Depot stores and Bunnings-owned Beaumont Tiles stores.

Bunnings has secured offsite power purchase agreements with large-scale solar farms, wind farms and hydro power stations to meet most of its renewable electricity needs.

We continue to grow our local generation of renewable power by installing solar PV systems across our network. We have over 160 solar PV systems installed on our stores across Australia, which help to provide up to 30 per cent of each store’s energy needs.

To reduce the energy we consume, we aim to continually improve energy efficiency across our network. LED lighting is standard for all new Bunnings stores, reducing energy use by more than 30 per cent per store. 

In the coming years we plan to pilot battery energy storage at several locations.

Bunnings is also trialling EV charging stations for customers at selected sites in Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia, and New Zealand.

We’re committed to finding solutions that benefit our customers, the environment and our operations.
Bunnings aims to promote a circular economy by minimising operational waste, optimising product packaging and implementing product stewardship programs for customers. 
Bunnings team member in store packing product into brown paper bag

Waste and packaging

Reducing waste from our business operations is a priority for Bunnings. Bunnings is committed to reducing the environmental impact of packaging by improving packaging design, incorporating recycled materials, improving recyclability and stewardship of packaging, and is a signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO). You can read our  2024 APCO Annual Report and Action Plan. 

Bunnings is a member of the Soft Plastic Recycling Scheme in New Zealand and has adopted the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) on many of our products to help customers better understand how to correctly recycle each component of packaging.For Australian customers who purchase a product featuring the ARL with an instruction to return soft plastic packaging to a store collection point, please dispose of this packaging in general waste as the REDcycle scheme is no longer operational. Bunnings will continue to work with the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation and other industry bodies to keep our customers updated as new recycling pathways are explored.

At Bunnings, we provide recycling facilities at selected stores for a range of materials that customers use at home or at work.

Product recycling

customer recycling old battery at bunnings store

Batteries

Bunnings offers a national battery recycling program and is an accredited member of the B-cycle scheme. This service is available to customers throughout all stores and trade centres across Australia and New Zealand. In November 2023, Bunnings reached a milestone of 550 tonnes of household and power tool batteries collected for recycling.  

We accept household single use and rechargeable batteries such as: 

  • AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, 6V
  • Power tool batteries
  • Button cell batteries
  • Other handheld sized batteries that fit into the collection unit slot

We ask that you tape your batteries before placing them in your local collection unit. We cannot accept lead acid batteries, car batteries, products with embedded batteries or other batteries that do not fit into the battery collection unit slot. Find out more here. 

Recycle your plastic plant pots with us team with sign 

Plastic plant pots

Bunnings recognises its role in providing stewardship for difficult-to-recycle items such as plastic plant pots. To help with this, Bunnings offers plastic plant pot recycling at over 240selected stores across Victoria, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and New Zealand.

Through this program, customers are welcome to return used plant packaging made from polypropylene plastic (PP5) for recycling at participating stores, including plant pots, stakes and labels. We also welcome customers to take returned pots out of the collection units for reuse at home, free of charge.

Products with a Power Cord

In partnership with social enterprise Minda, selected South Australian stores offer e-waste and appliance recycling so you can return and recycle any product with a power cord. Bunnings has supported the Unplug ‘N’ Drop program since 2017, which helps employ local South Australians with a disability. Please contact your local store before visiting to find out whether this program is available.

Team member passing paint can to customer with a sign in the front for paint can disposal

Paint

Bunnings have supported Paintback since 2017, who help household and trade customers responsibly dispose of unwanted paint and packaging waste across Australia for free, diverting it from landfill and vital waterways. Collected paint and paint packaging is treated in several ways, including energy recovery and liquid/solid separation for water-based paint. Visit www.paintback.com.au to find your closest drop off location. 
three rain tanks on exterior of warehouse
Since our first store opened in 1994, we’ve been collecting and reusing rainwater, with rainwater collection tanks a standard across all new Bunnings sites where possible. We have over 270 water tanks across Australian network. The rainwater captured is used to water our store nurseries and toilets.

We also provide D.I.Y. advice and regularly participate in educational campaigns to help customers make informed choices when choosing water saving products for their home and garden.

Factory workers looking at a safety poster 
As a leading retailer of home improvement and outdoor living products, Bunnings global supply chains are complex. We recognise our role in upholding human rights and supporting sustainable practices through our responsible and ethical sourcing programs. Bunnings is committed to ensuring that our products and services are sourced ethically and responsibly by working with suppliers and service providers to continuously improve social and environmental practices within our supply chain and business.

We understand the challenges of modern slavery are complex and require all businesses to respond to this global issue collectively. We welcomed the introduction of the Australian Modern Slavery Act in 2018 and our annual Modern Slavery Statement and Supply Chain Overview details our efforts in combatting modern slavery.

Our expectation is that all suppliers who provide products or services to Bunnings adhere to the minimum standards established by the Code of Conduct (PDF, 233KB). The Code of Conduct is based on International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions and outlines our commitment to upholding the human rights of the workers in our supply chain and operations.

We take a risk-based approach to assess and mitigate human rights risks in our operations and supply chains. Our Approach to Human Rights considers the salient human rights issues across our business and operations, considering severity, scale, scope and irremediability. Identifying our salient human rights issues helps to focus our efforts on the management of human rights risks across our operations and supply chain.

Our ethical sourcing program is based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). The program is designed to monitor working conditions through supply chain mapping, risk assessments, third-party audits and working with suppliers and service providers to remediate non-conformances.

During the 2024 financial year, Bunnings conducted more than 1,170 pre-qualification risk assessments of suppliers and manufacturers and completed more than 590 independent audits within the supply chain. In response to these activities, Bunnings focuses on working with all parties in the supply chain to remediate issues, improve conditions for workers and build local capacity and a more resilient supply chain.

Bunnings also works with suppliers of goods not for resale (GNFR) and service providers to collaboratively manage risk using ethical sourcing controls such as pre-qualification assessments and independent audits.

Consistent with our values, the UNGPs and ILO conventions, we aim to have effective grievance mechanisms available for workers in our supply chains, to confidentially raise concerns including business-related human rights risks. Bunnings’ factory grievance mechanism ‘Your Voice, Worker Helpline’ allows workers to confidentially raise concerns about their working conditions via phone call, email, or messaging services including WhatsApp or WeChat. The service supports the provision of remedy for workers, enables problems to be addressed promptly before they escalate, and assists our audit program to identify ethical sourcing trends over time.

To further support transparency in working conditions, Bunnings launched the ‘Your Voice, Worker Call-Back’ service to actively seek feedback from factory workers globally.

Your Voice, Worker Call-Back is initiated during an on-site factory audit, via a Bunnings third-party, supply chain partner. After the audit, the worker receives a phone call enabling them to provide confidential feedback. This service verifies audit results, measures the effectiveness of the ‘Your Voice, Worker Helpline’ service and proactively encourages workers to gather feedback about their working conditions.

Bunnings are also members of the United Nations Global Compact Network Australia; the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative focused on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.

In 2021, Bunnings co-signed an open letter to the New Zealand government supporting the introduction of a Modern Slavery Act in New Zealand to combat modern slavery and uphold human rights in our region.

team member stacking treated pine framing timber
Bunnings has a zero-tolerance approach to illegally logged timber. Our goal is to ensure all timber and wood products supplied to Bunnings originate from legal and well-managed forest operations. 

We have made significant progress in this area, with more than 99 per cent of our whole timber product sourced from low-risk plantation, independently certified, or other legally verified forest operations. 

Our Responsible Timber Sourcing Policy was established in 2003 and revised in 2018 to include a commitment that all natural forest products will originate from third party certified forests by December 2020. This required all natural forest timber products to be derived from forests that are independently certified to Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®), Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) or another equivalent standard. 

You can learn more about our responsible timber sourcing actions over the last two decades in the timber sourcing timeline below.

 graphic of nature and bio-diversity
Forest Stewardship Council®(FSC®) is a global, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of responsible forest management worldwide. FSC defines standards based on agreed principles for responsible forest stewardship that are supported by environmental, social, and economic stakeholders. 
The PEFC and Responsible Wood logos identify products from sustainably managed forests through independent third-party certification. Forest certification provides assurances that forests are conserved and managed responsibly.

2001

  • Bunnings adopted a zero-tolerance approach to illegally logged timber
  • Since 2001 Bunning has been an active member of the New Zealand Imported Tropical Timber Group collaborating with government and environmental organisations to support responsibly sourced timber

2002

  • Bunnings collaborated with Greenpeace to address global illegal logging concerns and the potential impact on Bunnings’ supply chain
  • Bunnings completed the first global timber supply chain assessment to trace timber sources

2003

  • Bunnings developed and implemented our Responsible Timber Sourcing Policy

2007

  • Bunnings became the first retailer and founding partner of the WWF Global Forest Trade Network (GFTN) in Australia. The GFTN was established by WWF to provide technical advice and foster links between companies committed to responsible forestry and trade; independent forest certification being a key part of this process. Through the GFTN, Bunnings helped suppliers progress through a stepwise approach to certification
  • Bunnings introduced the Mimosa range, an exclusive 100% FSC® certified and labelled outdoor leisure timber products

2009

  • Bunnings was the lead signatory to a joint industry, community, and conservation group statement led by Greenpeace, which called for an Australian government ban on the importation of illegally logged timber
  • Bunnings introduced a condition of supply that required independent verification of legal origin for all 100% timber products made from tropical hardwoods

2011

  • Bunnings was part of the Common Platform supporting the Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill, which was presented to the Australian government. The participating parties who signed the Platform were prominent in promoting an end to the importation and trade of illegal timber and wood products by advocating action from industry, consumers, and the Federal Government.

2012

  • Bunnings played a significant role in a joint timber industry, retailer and non-government organisation steering group led by Planet Ark, which developed Australia’s first national wood products forum and workshop. This was the first time that many of these stakeholders came together to discuss the challenges and opportunities to work together to grow the market for responsibly sourced timber and certified products
  • Bunnings played an active role in work aimed at supporting the implementation and education of this legislation for industry and consumers and welcomed the passing of Australia’s Illegal Logging Prohibition Bill

2014

  • Bunnings undertook a forest concession field trip with WWF to a supplier (PT Sinar Wijaya Plywood Industries) of merbau timber in West Papua, Indonesia. The aim was to witness firsthand an independent High Conservation Value (HCV) assessment that was being undertaken as part of the supplier’s goal to achieving Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certification. This assessment included engaging with local communities to map ecological and socially significant forest areas, to ensure long-term sustainable forest operations

2016

  • PT Sinar Wijaya Plywood Industries achieved independent FSC® certification for its first forest concession, making it the first commercial scale producer of certified responsibly sourced merbau timber in West Papua.

2017

  • Bunnings introduced our FSC 100% Kwila offer across New Zealand stores.

2018

  • Bunnings revised our Responsible Timber Sourcing Policy to include a commitment that all natural forest products will originate from third party certified forests by December 2020. This required all timber to be independently certified by the FSC®, Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) or equivalent standard, with FSC® preferred in highly contentious regions.

2020

  • In December 2020 Bunnings released an addendum to the Responsible Timber Sourcing Policy with seven suppliers provided a 12-month extension due to COVID-19 disruptions in their journey to meeting the December 2020 commitment.

2022

  • In 2022, as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Bunnings notified suppliers that any timber or timber products sourced from Russia, Belarus and conflict areas of Ukraine would be excluded from the Bunnings’ supply chain, in line with Bunnings’ Policy to not accept conflict timber. Bunnings is working closely with a small number of affected suppliers to transition to alternative timber sources as soon as practicable.   

2023

  • Remaining provisionally approved timber suppliers who had been previously been granted an extension to comply, completed their transition to meet the revised Responsible Sourcing Timber Policy. All natural forest timber products originate from independently certified sources such as FSC®, Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) or other equivalent standard.
wide shot of the inside of warehouse
Bunnings has an extensive range of products that are used in conjunction with safety instructions and protective equipment, including gardening equipment, hand and power tools, and electrical products. Bunnings acknowledges the importance of providing products to the market that are fit for purpose and maintain safety of customers and team members.

Bunnings proactively engages with suppliers to strongly encourage adherence to product safety standards. This includes regular product audits to monitor conformance with mandatory standards and independent safety tests on selected products to confirm compliance with safety standards and customer expectations. Bunnings is also working towards increasing the range of alternative low and non-toxic chemical products, supported by industry research, to identify new and safer ingredients.

In FY24 Bunnings focussed on button battery compliance and lithium battery safety. Conducting internal and third-party store audits to ensure button battery compliance with the ACCC mandatory safety and labelling standards. Keeping our customers and team members safe, Bunnings strengthened processes for returned lithium batteries to our stores and onwards to our suppliers.

You can read more about our sustainability performance and how we progressed on our material sustainability issues during the last financial year on the Wesfarmers website at Bunnings (wesfarmers.com.au).