We Care
At Freshmax, our defining quality is that we care for the communities, businesses and lands that we serve. Sustainability is embedded in our business, and we continually strive to reflect on our actions and enrich our impact.
Three Pillars:
Our Sustainable Strategy
At Freshmax, we adhere to three fundamental sustainability pillars—environment, people, and governance. These form the cornerstones of our sustainability strategy and performance. Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), these pillars guide our efforts to protect the environment, nurture our people and uphold transparent governance practices. Together, they represent our commitment to creating a lasting impact on the planet, society and economy.
Environment
Freshmax is proud to deliver value and quality without compromising our environment.
Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)
Freshmax’s GHG impact is limited to Scope 2 emissions: the consumption of electricity in our offices and warehouses
We’ve made significant progress in reducing our impact through switching energy providers to one that uses an array of clean energy sources, installing a roof-mounted solar power system onto our Marsden Park warehouse, as well as smart lighting plans in all warehouses and offices.
Improved waste plan
Repurposing organic waste – Over 99% of our organic waste is sent to animal farms as feed.
Variety development
We continue to source new core category fruit varieties with higher yields, greater resistance to common diseases and pests which reduces the need for chemicals, and that are more resilient to climate changes.
Materials and packaging
We continually strive to use biodegradable wrapping and packaging that is sustainable, with a life-cycle that is as least harmful to the environment as possible.
People
At Freshmax, we understand the importance of fostering strong relationships with our employees, stakeholders and communities.
By treating everyone fairly and being active contributors to our local and global communities, we enhance our commitment to sustainability. Our dedication to fairness, good citizenship and community engagement underscores our sustainable practices.
Uplifting our community
We passionately believe in the power of community:
For decades, Foodbank has been a vital source of food and groceries for charities across Australia, proudly standing as the nation's largest food relief organization. Weekly, Freshmax contributes an average of 700kg of bananas to support Foodbank's mission.
We donate 100kg of bananas per week to support those living rough.
SecondBite works with growers, manufacturers and retailers to distribute donations, surplus or unsold edible food to local charities and non-profits around Australia. Multiple times a week, we donate dozens of kilos of our bananas to SecondBite which end up in various community food programs that aid homeless people, Indigenous Australians, refugees, and asylum seekers.
Training
Investing in our business means investing in our people. Over the past year, we trained staff in Apollo Root Cause Analysis training, Mental Health First Aid training and Return to Work Coordinator training.
Employee spotlights and well-being calendars
In our monthly group newsletter, we include a short ‘spotlight’ on a particular employee across the group. As a global organisation, we value interconnectedness and teamwork, and are excited by opportunities to find out about our colleagues and their life outside the office.
We also support staff through circulating a monthly ‘well-being’ calendar to remind employees what resources we offer for their mental and physical well-being.
Embrace diversity
We embrace diversity across the board of nationality, religion, culture, language, age and sexual preference.
Governance
Governance is the system by which an organisation is controlled and operates. It looks at the mechanisms which hold the business and its people to account, in order to balance the interests of its stakeholders with the growth of the organisation.
Third-party whistleblower support
At Freshmax, we uphold a commitment to transparency and integrity in all aspects of our operations. Our Whistle-blower policy serves as a cornerstone of our governance framework, ensuring that all Freshmax representatives, including employees, contractors, and suppliers, can report concerns without fear of retaliation. We provide multiple avenues for reporting, including an external service through ProAct link, to ensure confidentiality and trust. Additionally, comprehensive whistle-blower training reinforces our dedication to fostering a culture of accountability and ethical conduct across our sites worldwide.
Modern Slavery frameworks and controls
At Freshmax, we’re dedicated to preventing modern slavery in our supply chain. With a global network of suppliers, we continuously assess and evolve our processes to eliminate risks. Through our zero-tolerance policy and rigorous risk assessments, we prioritize human rights and ethical conduct in all our operations.