Foodbuy’s ‘Pitch Social’ initiative identifies new socially conscious SME partners
The 3 non-food procurement categories you didn’t know about
23 May 2023
In foodservice, procurement is often only thought of in terms of food – where it comes from, how it's produced, and who gets paid for it. But as a company committed to meeting the needs of our clients, we believe non-food categories are just as important as food and have a significant impact on the environment and society.
From office stationery and cleaning products to machinery and waste management systems, non-food procurement includes everything that’s necessary to keep a business running smoothly. That's why we spend £250 million on non-food products and services each year, to ensure that our clients have access to the best products and services available in the market.
Here are three top non-food suppliers we work with in categories we believe are worth your attention:
WildHearts – Office stationery
Wildhearts are our preferred supplier for office stationery and supplies. By choosing to partner with WildHearts, you will not only get access to a wide range of quality stationery products, you will also support a cause that delivers positive social impact to the lives of those both globally and in the UK. Wildhearts are a Social Enterprise, meaning they invest their profits into programmes that make a real difference in people's lives. The Wildhearts Foundation funds programmes such as ‘StartHer’, supporting women and girls in the developing world, and ‘The WildHearts School Programme’, educating and supporting the next generation.
SUEZ – Waste management
We’ve been proudly partnering with SUEZ since 2017. They manage clients across 500 locations, including mixed recycling, food waste, confidential waste, and clinical and hazardous waste, meaning 50% of our clients' waste (outside of medical waste) is now recycled and we aim to keep improving this as part of our sustainability goals.
With SUEZ, you’ll have a company committed to delivering award-winning, environmentally responsible recycling and waste management solutions. One that continues to pioneer innovative technologies for the UK's circular economy with dynamic weighing equipment to identification chips to capture accurate waste data in real-time!
Rentokil Pest – Pest control
The future of pest control, Rentokil is leading the way in remote technology and IOT. We’ve been working with Rentokil Pest since 2014, and we’re so impressed with their commitment to reducing its services' effect on the environment. Their new bait boxes (made from recycled polymers), for instance, save 377 tonnes of plastic waste, and its online platform, myRentokil, removes the need for paper reports.
Rentokil Pest cover an array of services including bait boxes, bird deterrents and specialist pest removal and with their market leading mobile monitoring technology reduce the need for frequent site visits further improving the cost.
At Foodbuy, it’s our purchasing power, systems, and people that set us apart. By working with non-food suppliers like these (and more!), we not only help you fulfil your non-food procurement needs, but also help you make a positive impact on society and the global climate.
And with the growing importance of sustainable business practices, it's more important than ever to consider the impact of non-food procurement. Contact us today to find out more of how we can help at Gordon.Turner@foodbuy.co.uk.
