Our Journey So Far
Sustainability at CERTECH has been built through practical changes over time.
2020 — Less Plastic, Better Packaging
We moved selected Keystone Jacks from individual single-use plastic bags to recyclable cardboard multipacks.
A simple change. A lot fewer plastic bags.
Watch our short video on the new keystone jack packaging.
2020 — Verified PVC-Free Claims
CERTECH obtained its first GECA Claims Authentication Certificate for PVC-free cable, providing independent verification of applicable product claims.
2023 — BICSI Sustainability Award Winner
CERTECH was named winner of the BICSI South Pacific Pioneer ICT Sustainability Award.
2024 — Recognised Again
CERTECH was named a finalist in the BICSI South Pacific Pioneer ICT Sustainability Award for a second consecutive year.
2025 — APCO Beyond Best Practice
CERTECH achieved Beyond Best Practice recognition through the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO).
Recognition is great. But what matters most is what we do next.
Rethinking Packaging
Packaging needs to protect the product.
It does not need to be excessive.
Wherever practical, CERTECH is:
- removing single-use soft plastics from outer and accessory packaging;
- replacing soft foam cushioning with cardboard inserts;
- reducing unnecessary packaging;
- choosing materials with better recycling or recovery pathways; and
- exploring lower-impact alternatives for warehouse and product packaging.
We have progressively made changes across selected product ranges.
Keystone Jacks moved from individual plastic bags to recyclable cardboard multipacks.
Selected patch leads have moved from clear plastic bags to cardboard hang-cell packaging.
Where practical, selected HDMI cables have also moved from single-use plastic bags to cardboard hang-cells.
The objective is simple:
Use the right amount of the right material.
And one thing remains non-negotiable — the packaging still has to protect the product.
Creating damaged products in the name of reducing packaging is not progress.
Making Recycling Easier
Better packaging is only useful if people know what to do with it.
CERTECH has implemented the Australasian Recycling Label (ARL) on applicable packaging to provide clearer recycling and disposal instructions.
Less guesswork. Better sorting.
Giving Fibre Reels Another Go
One of the more significant initiatives in our journey is the CERTECH Plastic Fibre Reel Take-Back & Recycling Program.
The program was developed to create a better pathway for plastic reels and drums used with our fibre optic products.
Returned reels are assessed for reuse wherever practical.
Serviceable reels can be cleaned and returned to the packaging pool, while reels that have reached the end of their usable life are separated from general waste and directed into an appropriate recovery stream.
As we approach twelve months of piloting the program, we are reviewing what worked, what did not, and what can be improved.
Because a pilot should teach you something.
Start. Learn. Improve. Repeat.
Recovering More From Our Waste
Not every material belongs in the same recycling stream.
CERTECH separately collects suitable waste generated through our operations, including:
- soft plastics;
- used pallet wrap;
- non-reusable plastic fibre drums and reels; and
- wooden cable drums.
Where conventional recycling is not an appropriate option, suitable materials may be directed through alternative resource-recovery pathways, including processing into Processed Engineered Fuel (PEF) rather than general waste.
Used pallet wrap that cannot be reused is also separated and directed into an appropriate recycling or recovery stream.
Our hierarchy is straightforward:
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Recover.
Partnering for Better Waste Outcomes
Good waste management needs more than good intentions.
CERTECH has partnered with Nationwide Waste Solutions, an award-winning, ISO-accredited Australian waste management, recycling and environmental solutions provider.
Through this partnership, we are taking a more structured approach to understanding our waste streams, improving separation and identifying appropriate recycling and recovery pathways.
It also gives us access to specialist expertise as we look for opportunities to improve our current 74% waste diversion rate.
Sustainability at Project Level
We also want sustainability information to be useful to our customers.
For eligible CERTECH certified projects, we can provide a Project Sustainability Summary as part of the CERTECH 25-Year System Performance Warranty package.
Depending on the project, the summary can document:
- fibre reels returned and recovered;
- material diverted from landfill;
- relevant packaging initiatives;
- LSZH copper cable installed;
- LSZH optical fibre cable installed; and
- LSZH patch leads installed.
This turns sustainability from a broad statement into something project-specific and measurable.
It can also provide useful information for customer procurement, sustainability and ESG reporting.
We think there is value in documenting what was actually used and what actually happened.
Material Choices Matter Too
Sustainability is not only about what happens to a product when it reaches the end of its life.
It also starts with what goes into it.
CERTECH offers a growing range of Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH) copper and optical fibre products.
Our first GECA Claims Authentication Certificate for PVC-free cable was obtained in December 2020, providing independent verification of applicable product claims.
For eligible Certified projects, relevant LSZH products can also be documented through the CERTECH Project Sustainability Summary.
Product performance and longevity matter too.
Infrastructure that performs reliably over the long term can help reduce unnecessary replacement, additional material use and disruption throughout the life of an installation.
The Little Things Add Up
Not every sustainability initiative needs its own program name.
Across our office and warehouses, we also:
- recycle eligible plastic bottle lids and small mixed metals through Lids4Kids Australia;
- recycle printer toner through Officeworks;
- divert e-waste through Liverpool City Council recycling services;
- separately collect batteries for recycling;
- recycle used pens through local community non-profit SCRAP Ltd; and
- give shredded office paper a second life through community composting and local chicken coop owners.
Recovered printer toner can also be repurposed into products such as TonerPlas®, an engineered asphalt additive incorporating recycled toner powder and mixed soft plastics.
None of these actions will change the world on their own.
That is not the point.
The point is to stop treating useful materials as waste simply because that is the easiest option.
Sometimes the better question is: Can somebody else use this?
Working With Our Manufacturing Partners
Some of the best waste reductions happen before a product reaches CERTECH.
We continue to work with our manufacturing partners to:
- question unnecessary packaging;
- reduce single-use plastics wherever practical;
- replace foam with cardboard alternatives where suitable;
- reduce overall packaging volume;
- consider better end-of-life pathways; and
- make packaging improvements at the source.
Sometimes the solution is straightforward.
Remove a bag. Change an insert. Use less material.
Other changes require testing, redesign and collaboration.
The aim is not change for the sake of change.
It is to find the better solution.
Looking Beyond the Recycling Bin
Recycling matters.
But recycling alone is not the goal.
Where possible, we want to prevent waste from being created in the first place.
So we keep asking:
Can we remove it?
Can we reduce it?
Can we reuse it?
Can we recycle it?
Can somebody else use it?
Can our supplier redesign it?
Can we make the recycling instructions clearer?
Can we create a return pathway?
Sometimes the answer is yes.
Sometimes it takes time.
Sometimes the current solution is still the most practical one.
But we will keep asking.
A Journey, Not a Finish Line
From changing Keystone Jack packaging in 2020, to independently authenticated PVC-free claims, industry recognition, APCO Beyond Best Practice, improved waste recovery and our fibre reel pilot, CERTECH’s sustainability journey continues to evolve.
We know there is more to do.
That is exactly the point.
For us, sustainability is not an award, a percentage or a statement we make once.
It is a habit of looking for a better way.
Can we do this better?
We intend to keep asking.