Does greater convenience always come with greater environmental cost? It’s a question with big implications for Australia’s takeaway and food delivery market, which was valued at $1.6 billion in 2019. Every year, Australians discard some one billion disposable coffee cups alone; factor in other sorts of food packaging, and the sheer scale of waste quickly becomes apparent.
It’s an issue that BioPak, an Australian-grown sustainable packaging company, has been trying to solve for more than a decade. As a certified B Corporation, BioPak designs and produces eco-friendly disposable tableware from renewable sources, such as corn-starch plastic and sugarcane.
When we last profiled BioPak, the team had selected NetSuite ERP to wrangle its disparate systems and applications to help it adapt to rapid change. The company has continued its growth trajectory and has tapped into the huge regional and global demand for more sustainable packaging. With NetSuite’s cloud-based ERP, BioPak has managed to automate processes for full supply chain visibility – from manufacturing through to freight.
Most recently, it launched an industrial composting collection service to reduce customers’ carbon and waste impact, one that’s gained buy-in from businesses big and small nationwide.
Furthermore, the data visibility NetSuite enables has also acted as a platform for innovation. With insights into orders, margins and its supply chain in hand, BioPak developed a carbon calculator that allows its customers to gauge their environmental footprint, helping businesses from Qantas to the University of Technology, Sydney to identify areas where they can further reduce waste. The calculator also helps BioPak quantify the value of switching from regular non-biodegradable packaging to its own products – making its value proposition that much more compelling at all levels of the industry.
“Our customers have bespoke packaging needs, so our business needs to provide a similar level of flexibility and customisation that allows them to manage their packaging exactly as needed,” said Gary Smith, CEO, BioPak. “With NetSuite, we’re able to personalise elements of the customer experience, like ordering portals, while automating and streamlining back-end analytics and monitoring. That gives our customers the made-to-measure packaging and maximal availability to compete effectively even while raising their green credentials. It’s the best of both worlds for the food industry and it’s a major growth enabler for us.”
The business has seen a surge in order volumes, a drop in overhead costs and a decrease in human involvement in shipping processes. This has allowed the business to offer its customers a more personalised experience with extra packaging services, while staying true to its mission of positive and sustainable environmental impact.
Implementing NetSuite has given BioPak the opportunity to grow its business globally and showcase to customers and the public how it’s continuing to pursue and achieve its brand promise. More efficient operations and more accessible data have given this Australian trendsetter a powerful edge in its bid to create a cleaner, greener market. We can’t wait to see what the team will achieve in the next decade.
NetSuite’s cloud-based ERP empowers business with the data and insights they need to streamline processes and add value to products and services. Learn more about how you can be Gutsy About Data-Led Decision Making here.