Working with Woollahra: how ISS supports sustainable solutions and service excellence

Image: Members of the Woollahra Group team showcasing sustainably packaged soap products

Since 2020, ISS has successfully partnered with Woollahra Group an Indigenous-owned business providing cleaning and consumable’s and Procurement Partner. The Supply Nation-certified manufacturer and distributor works with ISS across the New South Wales Whole of Government contract, which provides cleaning and maintenance services to public schools and facilities statewide.

Supporting social enterprise 
Woollahra’s social enterprise trading model includes joint venture partnerships with Traditional Landowner corporations or businesses that actively support Indigenous community initiatives, through profit sharing. This model provides ISS with an authentic conduit to contribute to Indigenous-owned business through socially responsible procurement and Woollahra’s affiliation with Australian Indigenous Mentoring Exchange (AIME).

Contributing to AIME
ISS has contributed over $19,000 to AIME, a mentorship program with the goal of addressing disadvantage and bridging inequality in education. The program supports Indigenous high school students to finish their education by matching them with trained university student mentors. AIME also provides support to Indigenous students through extra-curricular programs, tutor squads and university transitions.

Image: (L-R) Blake Lambert, Mentor Leader AIME, Duane Hawkins, Key Account Director, ISS Education Division and Chris Schmid, Managing Director, Woollahra Group

Service excellence
Maintaining safe and hygienic environments for our customers is paramount. Using Woollahra’s range of socially responsible, quality cleaning and consumable solutions and Makita Power Tools supports our focus to go above and beyond in meeting the cleaning needs of significant public facilities for our customers.

Image: ISS Placemaker teams use socially responsible products to support onsite cleaning requirements

Committing to sustainable solutions
As part of our venture with Woollahra, ISS also signed on to participate in Woollahra's #NoPlasticWaste recycling program to make sure that all plastic waste sent to sites is removed and returned and back to Woollahra to reuse & recycle all plastic containers. 

Woollahra, along with the NSW Whole of Government team, transitioned all petrol-powered equipment to environmentally beneficial products through their alliance with Makita. The outcomes of this transition not only removed the need to purchase and store petrol, it offered a quieter solution for the delivery of ISS services to its customer.

This initiative has also paved the way for ISS to support other Woollahra sustainability drives such as Woollahra’s partnership with Soap Aid in WA mining villages. Sustainably packaged soap products distributed for use on mining camps are recycled, purified and then donated to communities in need across Australia. 

Next steps with Woollahra
We are committed to continuing our support of Indigenous-owned businesses, through purposeful procurement practices. Chris Schmid, Managing Director at Woollahra states that: “The relationship with Woollahra and ISS has continued to strengthen and expand over time. This engagement has allowed us to expand our offering to our existing customer base – an outcome that naturally evolves from valuable partnerships which also allows us to extend the social impact contribution to the lands where we work.”

ENDS

For more information about ISS Facility Services Australia and New Zealand see:

LinkedIn: ISS Facility Services Australia and New Zealand
Website: www.issworld.com/en-au