Families are set to bear the brunt of the nation’s latest supply crisis, with the price of back-to-school items set to soar.

Australians are set to pay nearly double for paper, while the price of school books and stationery could soar after production was suspended at the nation’s last white paper mill in the Latrobe Valley. Office Brands, a group representing businesses that provide stationery supplies, has warned of cost-of-living pressures directly linked to the end of white-paper production at Maryvale mill. Local manufacturing of copy paper ceased on December 23 because of timber shortages, and it is feared it may not return as authorities struggle to solve the crisis.

Chief executive Adam Joy said that since the shutdown, the cost of a ream of paper had gone from $4 to $7 because companies and stationery stores were now being hit with massive tariffs to import paper for print. They were introduced to prevent dumping.

“Supply of white paper has now stopped in Australia and we’re all importing,” he said.

”You’re already seeing prices moving up, almost weekly, from the wholesale cost of sourcing the paper. The price is moving very fast.”

Mr. Joy said small businesses would be caught up in the price rises, as would educators and government departments that relied on the paper, and paper-related products such as printers, cartridges and laminators would cost more. He also said the federal government should remove the tariffs, particularly if local production was now finished. Opal Australian Paper has struggled to source the native timber needed to produce white paper because of regulations placed on logging after multiple long court battles.

The laws have left VicForests unable to meet some contracts and the Maryvale mill emptied its stockpile in the time spent seeking a solution. An Opal spokeswoman said the firm was yet to identify an alternative source of wood. “Opal continues to consider a number of different scenarios for the longer term in case possible alternative wood sources are below the volumes required or are not commercially feasible,” she said. 

Almost 50 Maryvale workers have been stood down and another 90 are expected to follow if production ends. CFMEU pulp and paper workers district secretary Denise Campbell-Burns said there might be a shortage of back-to-school paper products. 

“It’s about our workers’ jobs and the importance of Australian manufacturing, but the other thing is about Australian consumers,” she said.

“Why should families have to pay more for imported products because we haven’t solved our log-supply crisis?”

She said legislation needed to change so harvesting could resume. “It is a state and a – national issue, not just a Gippsland issue,” she said.

“We use paper produced at the Maryvale mill every single day and no one thinks of it.”

A state government spokeswoman said it was working with Opal on options to support the mill in the long term.

This article was originally published in the Sun Herald on the 17th of January 2023 

Opal Australian Paper has provided an update to its white paper production following the VicForests situation, which has continued to create supply challenges for its Maryvale Mill.

The company said while it is pursuing substitute wood supply possibilities, the situation is expected to impact white paper production on or around 23 December.

“The lack of VicForests’ wood supply continues to create challenges for the Maryvale Mill. As a result, Opal Australian Paper is continuing to undertake extensive investigations into alternative wood supplies,” it said.

“This is a complex situation and to be viable the alternative supplies must match a range of strict criteria including species, availability, volume, cost, logistics and long-term supply.

“To date, suitable alternatives have not been identified, however we will continue to work through this process as quickly and thoroughly as we can.”

The company confirmed that there are currently no stand downs in place, but anticipates temporary stand downs for some workgroups which may commence in January 2023.

“As the availability of viable alternative wood supply remains uncertain, Opal is considering several different operational scenarios in the longer-term, in the case that viable alternative supply is below the required volume or not able to be supplied,” it said.

“This is a complex and ever-changing situation and no longer-term decisions on operational changes have been made at this stage. We are continuing to consult with our affected team members on these critical issues.

“Opal is also continuing to work through this situation as a priority with our valued customers and suppliers, particularly with respect to any possible longer term market impacts.

“We appreciate this is a very difficult and unsettling time and we remain committed to keeping our team members and key stakeholders updated on the situation as it develops.”

Office Brands CEO Adam Joy recently said due to these circumstances, hundreds of SMBs including printers, office products stores and newsagents across Australia are expected to run out of paper products over the coming weeks.

“The suspension of timber harvesting in Victoria as a result of a court injunction on the Victorian Government-owned timber company VicForests, means that a major local paper manufacturer is expected to stop production in the coming days,” he said.

“This will have a serious and immediate impact on paper supplies across the country.”

This article was originally printed at https://www.sprinter.com.au 

When we moved into our home offices at the start of the pandemic, most of us had a temporary approach to setting up our work spaces. We’ll be back in the office soon, we thought. Working at the kitchen counter would be fine in the interim, we supposed.

The dining room table would be OK too. After all, the kids have been labouring over their homework there for years. The spare room, with its wooden chair, old PC and printer has been fine for short spells of paying bills, doing filing and Skyping with overseas relatives.

Why are home office spaces a must-have?

Many of us have moved to a permanent hybrid setup. But the majority of our at-home setups haven’t been given the careful safety audit we previously benefited from in the office.

Office spaces are designed for long spells of work – easy access to various technology, ergonomically designed chairs, a layout contoured for optimal comfort and collaboration, surfaces dedicated solely to the aesthetics, resources and assets of the business, and a general atmosphere conducive to concentration, uninterrupted by spurts of domestic activity, the chug of washing machines or clacking of dryers or distracting aromas of cooking.

It might seem like the home is the ideally comfortable setting. Couches, chaise lounges and favourite chairs have, after all, settled and moulded over time to our bodies, and cushions can be layered and plumped up and climate control adjusted to preferred settings.

However, many people want to distinguish between their domestic areas of relaxation and their place of work; there’s an innate impulse to segregate the two. The couch in front of the TV is where you want to sink down after you’ve finished with your laptop and printed out spreadsheets. People also tend to gravitate to quiet corners of the house, where they can conduct calls and host meetings and not be drawn by the distractions of open-plan spaces.

Workstations in offices are designed for productivity and to mitigate the effects of sedentary posture. When workstations are designed poorly, fatigued and frustrated workers will be susceptible to aches and stiffness. These workers are rarely the most productive, and they often develop costly and painful musculoskeletal (soft tissue) injuries and disorders.

What are the work from home must haves?

Working from home shouldn’t require much thought, right? Just grab the breakfast bar stool and off you go. Or maybe just grab the old study desk you used when you were at high school, and partner it with the tatty chair in the garage smelling faintly of wood veneer and turpentine, that is only otherwise brought out to accommodate an extra guest at Christmas.

The reality is, working from home without taking some time to prepare your mental and physical environment will cost you much more in the long run. We spend thousands of dollars to ensure we have the correct mattress for the best sleep, yet we look to spend $99 on a chair to provide the best posture and lumbar support in the day. It doesn’t add up.

There are many factors to consider when setting up working from home, either for a portion of the week or as a permanent gig. Your health and wellbeing is certainly top of the list. Here are some working from home must-haves, as well as the best ways to set up your seat, keyboard, mouse, and monitor to ensure you can continue to work at your best from home.

The right chair

Investing in a suitable chair will provide ergonomic support, with an array of choices around style, foam density and adjustability. This is an investment in your posture and lumbar care.

A sit-stand desk

A sit-stand desk is a great asset. It is now well proven that sitting all day is detrimental to your health. If you are not used to standing whilst working, aim to start with just 30 minutes a day, even if that is three 10 minute blocks, or the first 30 minutes after lunch.

Lunch and other breaks

You need to separate your work and home life. Your lunch break is not the time to throw on a load of washing or vacuum the lounge room. If the weather is great, head outside to eat. Go for a walk around the block and create that necessary physical and mental separation. Don’t scoff down your food in a mood of harried preoccupation about work matters.

Dress and act the part

Get dressed for work, leave the house and walk or drive to a local café and then return home. Start on tasks in a frame of mind that you are attending work. At the end of the day do the reverse: to the fruit shop and then return home to be present at home with family.

If you don’t make an effort to compartmentalise your life you can be lulled into a 14 hour day at your computer, doing some housework, going back to your desk, watching a daytime soap and then returning back for more work. Before you know it, it’s 10pm and time for bed. Make sure at least a portion of your day is spent beyond a twenty-metre radius.

Adjust your equipment to prevent head and neck injuries

Minimise headaches and neck stiffness by making sure you maintain a good posture while at your desk. You can do this by placing your monitor directly in front of you, with the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level. If you are using a laptop, you can use a laptop riser for comfortable viewing. An ergonomic set up at home is as consequential as one at work.

If you need the right home office set-up, you can always rely on our Office National or Office Products Depot locations. We can help you put together the best ergonomic workplace that will make working from home seamless, comfortable and productive.

Posted by Adam Joy | Learn Magazine, People and HR, Running a Business, Work Spaces |

Environmental sustainability in business is critical as we strive to reduce global carbon emissions.

Eco-friendly, or ‘green’ behaviour, can also create an attractive space, generate higher job satisfaction, stronger employee engagement, and increased productivity. With organisations struggling to get workers back into offices after working from home for so long, offering a green workplace could be the incentive workers need to go back to the city.

Many organisations have announced initiatives to become more environmentally friendly by adopting greener, more sustainable working practices and focusing on implementing corporate social responsibility programs. In fact, a green wave is surging through the business world as businesses react to changing environmental circumstances, and affirm the priorities and values of many of their sustainability-minded millennial and Gen Z staff.

BE STRATEGIC

One way to ensure a business is focused on sustainability is to ensure it is led from a strategic point of view. Our recent 2022 – 2025 Strategy calls out specific sustainable actions, as follows: 

• Complete an audit of our carbon impact and implement an action plan to reduce our impact over the next two years.
• Include the procurement of an upcycled and circular economy range across our categories, increasing the number of products sourced from sustainable resources.

Customers will form an attachment to a company that engages in ethical sourcing practices, and potential job applicants will likely size up a business’s environmental practices. Conscientious and social-media savvy younger people like to know that they work for a business that cares about sustainability, and they have become adept at discerning whether a business is virtue signalling and greenwashing rather than taking genuine action. 

There are a number of incentives for businesses to transform their offices into green workspaces. Besides doing the right thing for future generations, going green in the office can provide companies with tangible bottom-line benefits. It can bring cost-savings through decreased utility bills and wastage.

BE PRACTICAL

There are numerous practical steps: using recycled paper whenever possible, switching all lighting to LEDs, implementing a comprehensive recycling program, using no-VOC interior paints, installing motion-sensors for office lighting, using non-toxic cleaning products and introducing plants into an office space.

In a wider sense, businesses need to improve their ability to identify, measure and control the environmental impacts of their preferred suppliers and their products.

Ethical sourcing is a critical step for businesses to become more socially and environmentally responsible. An ethical sourcing strategy encourages cooperation and engagement in supply chains.

The paper industry relies on thriving forests to meet demand. Despite all the talk of a paperless society, global consumption of paper continues to grow. Although paper can be both biodegradable and easily recyclable, it can also be the product of deforestation or poor forestry practices if not sourced sustainably.

There are many ways of determining eco-friendly sourcing. Forest Stewardship Council certification, for example, supports responsible forest management worldwide. FSC certified forest products are verified from the forest of origin through the supply chain, ensuring the product is from responsibly harvested and verified sources.  

It’s important to eliminate material that has been illegally harvested or traded in a way that drives violent armed conflict or threatens national or regional stability, especially if the related political or military regimes violate human rights.

An ethical sourcing framework can promote sustainability and minimise the environmental impacts of their operations and products. It’s also important to comply with all regulations and environmental standards, and communicate this approach to all stakeholders.

ENCOURAGE YOUR SUPPLIERS TO BE GREEN

Businesses should also seek to promote sustainability via their suppliers and distributors, by emphasising its importance in supplier agreements for products destined for distribution by their dealers.

Sustainability is about looking at the whole picture. Businesses should engage with their preferred suppliers, internal teams and dealers in a broad effort to promote sustainability and minimise adverse environmental impacts.

Lastly, businesses should consistently seek to improve chain-of-custody information and compliance through annual reviews, reports and actions in partnership with preferred suppliers.

Corporate social responsibility and sustainability are more than just buzzwords. Consumers and staff alike expect businesses to be part of the solution when it comes to environmental and social issues. For any business associated with productive forests and forest products, from the start of the supply chain to the paper stacked on an office desk, sustainable sourcing is a key element in making workspaces more eco-friendly – and attract the very best talent in the process.

Running your own business can be incredibly rewarding, but for many small-business owners, having complete responsibility for payroll, finding the next job, or even just getting paid for the last job can take its toll.

There are many reasons why you might be feeling overwhelmed as a small-business owner. When you focus all your time and attention on the business, it can be easy to forget how crucial it is to prioritise your own mental well-being.

If this sounds like you, know that you’re not alone. It’s a lot of pressure to be responsible for other people’s lives, especially if your employees are also your family members or people you count as close friends. Thankfully, there are some simple steps you can take to break the cycle of stress and regain some all-important work/life balance.

Learn to take a step back

Small-business owners regularly face long hours and even a seven-day work week. No matter how much you love your job, long hours will eventually take their toll and lead to burnout.

By undertaking business-related activities such as responding to business emails and calls after hours, you’re blurring the boundaries between work and home and essentially giving yourself a 24/7 job.

Unless you can take back some time for yourself, you’ll eventually end up burnt out, unhappy, and resenting the business you’ve created. Not exactly a recipe for success.

While it’s easier said than done, sometimes we simply need to draw a line in the sand and hit the reset button. This may mean saying, “I know there is a lot to do, but I’m not going to work this Sunday, because I need to rest.” Once you’ve had some genuine rest, Monday’s to-do list will start to look a lot more achievable.

Another great solution is to learn to delegate. Although passing on business-critical tasks to your team might feel risky, it’s actually the only way to have a healthy, thriving, sustainable business over the long term.

Connect with others

Life at the top can often feel lonely. If you’re spending every waking hour on your job, it’s easy to feel isolated and like no one can understand your struggles. Eventually, this feeling can eat away at you, causing deep feelings of resentment that could even spill over into your team.

Never be afraid to reach out to your network of business partners, employees, and even competitors. You’ll be surprised at what can arise from a little honesty and a willingness to talk about what you’re going through.

Admit when you don’t have the answer

Sometimes your business’s demands are greater than your capacity to deal with them, and that’s okay. Although small-business owners are brilliant, we’re also only human. Sometimes we’re wrong, sometimes we make mistakes, and sometimes we make the wrong call.

When we are deep in the problem, it always feels much bigger than it really is. Reach out to a colleague, partner, or friend and ask them if they can help. Some problems weren’t built for us to tackle alone.

Finally, while stress isn’t the same as a diagnosed mental health condition such as anxiety or depression, excessive or long-term stress can increase your risk of developing a mental health condition. It’s a real health risk, and one you should take as seriously as any physical health condition.

Tackling these issues is critical for both your own mental health and the health of your business. You can’t have one without the other.

If you’re struggling with similar issues, check out Heads Up, a free dedicated small-business mental health website with many tools and support.

Adam Joy
Chief Executive Officer
OFFICE BRANDS

Adam Joy

Chief Executive Officer
OFFICE BRANDS

At the start of COVID-19, we set up our at-home workspaces in a temporary fashion. The old office was just waiting in the wings for our return. This would all be over soon, anyway. Right? 

Two-and-a-half years later, many of us have since acclimatised to a permanent hybrid setup. The retail industry has a vast number of workers replacing head office with home office for good, but some are only just starting to recognise that the change is permanent. 

The problem is, most of our at-home setups haven’t been carefully designed or approved by health and safety teams. We’re all still laptopping-it from the sofa, or the kitchen counter, or the kids’ tiny homework desk. 

When offices are designed poorly, it can lead to fatigue, frustration, and lack of productivity. These workers are rarely the most productive, and they often develop costly and painful musculoskeletal (soft tissue) injuries and disorders (MSDs).

We spend thousands of dollars to ensure we have the correct mattress for the best sleep for eight hours at night, yet we look to spend $99 on a chair to provide the best posture and lumbar support for eight hours in the day. It doesn’t add up.

Preventing head and neck injuries

Minimize the risks of headaches and neck stiffness by making sure you maintain a good posture while at your desk. You can do this by placing your monitor directly in front of you, with the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level. If you are using a laptop, you can use a laptop riser for more comfortable and easy viewing. An ergonomic set-up at home is as consequential as one at work.

Take a real break

It’s critical to separate your work and home life, and that means putting ‘home work’ on pause during designated ‘work work’ time where possible. Your lunch break is not the time to throw on a load of washing or quickly vacuum the lounge room. If the weather is great, head outside to eat. Go for a walk around the block and create that necessary physical and mental separation. Don’t scoff down your food in a mood of harried preoccupation about work matters.

Get dressed for work (at home)

Try to separate work and home, even if they’re technically the same thing. Consider getting dressed for work, leaving the house and walking or driving to a local café and then returning home. 

Start on tasks in a frame of mind that you are attending work. At the end of the day do the reverse: walk or drive to the fruit shop or corner store and then return home to be present at home with your roommates or family. If you don’t make an effort to compartmentalize your life you can be lulled into a 14-hour day at your computer, doing some housework, going back to your desk, watching a daytime soap and then returning back for more work. Before you know it, it’s 10pm and time for bed. Make sure at least a portion of your day is spent beyond a twenty-metre radius.

Find the right chair

A suitable chair will provide ergonomic support, with an array of choices around style, foam density and adjustability options. Your office chair seat height should be easily adjustable, and allow the user to have their feet flat on the floor, with thighs horizontal and arms even with the height of the desk.

Invest in a sit-stand desk

While sitting is fine for short periods, it can be useful to invest in a sit-stand desk for longer-term, flexible comfort. Whether the whole desk or an adaptation device, a sit-stand desk is a great purchase to make in your health and comfort. 

It is well proven that sitting all day is detrimental to your health. If you are not used to standing whilst working, aim to start with just 30 minutes a day, even if that is three 10-minute blocks, or the first 30 minutes after lunch.

With these tips in place, you’ll be well on your way to an office setup that will make working from home seamless, comfortable and productive.

Working From Home

WHAT ARE SINGLE USE PLASTIC BANS?

Single-Use Plastic bans are an effective strategy to speed up the transition toward a circular economy. The goal is to reduce plastic pollution on land and in the oceans and reduce the unsustainable use of fossil fuels to make packaging.

BIOPAK PACKAGING

Adam Joy
Chief Executive Officer
OFFICE BRANDS

   Adam Joy
   Chief Executive Officer
   OFFICE BRANDS