Held on 12 September, the showcase was hosted by Tony Sullivan, Bunzl purchasing director, and Joanna Gilroy, head of sustainability at Bunzl and the showcase was attended by the Bunzl catering team and twelve of its leading suppliers in the industry.
Tony Sullivan, Bunzl purchasing director, said: “There are multiple factors across a product’s life cycle that have environmental impact and it’s crucial that our sales teams understand these factors, so they can help customers make the most material responsible decisions for their catering operations.”
Through a set of supplier stands, suppliers displayed their most material responsible products alongside possible end-of-life options, also demonstrating how they actively operate to reduce their environmental impact.
Product information that suppliers shared with the sales teams included country of origin and manufacture, chemical footprint and the type of chemicals used, water footprint, renewable resource used and carbon footprint.
Bunzl sales team members had the opportunity to meet suppliers face-to-face in a relaxed environment, to see products first-hand and to take away samples and marketing collateral to share with customers.
Joanna Gilroy, Bunzl’s head of sustainability, added: “Our suppliers did a fantastic job making sure they met the brief, and our sales teams had a fun and informative day. The event was about building relationships with our partner suppliers and equipping the sales teams with crucial facts on catering products to take to our customers, and it certainly achieved both those outcomes