As founder of Greenpac, a company that provides eco-friendly industrial packaging products and solutions, Susan Chong was well aware of the problem that plagued the industry eight years ago.
Many companies were unwilling to adopt environmentally friendly practices as they believed it would raise operating costs. ‘Nobody talked about green back then,’ says Ms Chong, 41.
‘Green material is comparatively more costly,’ she explains. ‘But if companies are able to innovate, they’re able to achieve cost savings.’
Instead of selling her products, the managing director spent most of Greenpac’s first three years educating companies to ‘green’ their supply chain and reduce their carbon footprint.
Through word of mouth and success stories with her first few clients, Ms Chong inked deals with some of the world’s largest Fortune 500 companies, turning her one-woman start-up into a thriving multi-million dollar business.
Many of her clients have now appointed Greenpac as their sole preferred partner in industrial packaging solutions.
And encouraging the industry to go green is just one of the reasons that made Greenpac the first local SME to bag the Asean Business Award 2010 for the ‘Most Asean Admired Enterprise’ in the category of Corporate Social Responsibility (Small and Medium Enterprise).
Under the leadership of Ms Chong, a warm and down-to-earth entrepreneur who has been heavily involved in community work since young, Greenpac adopts a corporate social responsibility (CSR) framework in its business model, so that it can do its part for the community even though it is a small and young firm.
‘Our efforts for the last eight years have finally been recognised,’ says Ms Chong, as she shares her sentiments with BT for winning the coveted award.
‘We can now show others that CSR can be a form of business.’
Greenpac uses a three-pronged CSR approach in its business model, which includes engaging in environmentally friendly practices, responsible entrepreneurship and contributing back to the community.
Given Ms Chong’s penchant for helping child welfare organisations in her personal time, Greenpac has chosen causes related to children, such as helping out Singapore-based The Children’s Society and Future Light Orphanage of Worldmate in Cambodia.
In addition, the company participates in the Yellow Ribbon project and has hired four ex-convicts to date.
After the last ex-convict left to run his own poultry business, Ms Chong took in a hearing impaired girl who had been looking for a job for a long time.
‘When you provide employment to these underprivileged people, they will do a very good job as they are very grateful to you,’ she says.
Greenpac discloses its hiring practices to its clients and many of them are supportive of it. Larger organisations are increasingly taking up ethical codes of practice, and choosing to work with companies that create economic opportunities for the underprivileged, explains Ms Chong.
The mother of four also participates actively in seminars and forums by sharing her expertise in the green business since she sees it as a form of responsible entrepreneurship.
‘CSR is not a one-off effort of just donating cash,’ explains Ms Chong. ‘Everyone can start by doing something simple like providing good staff welfare.’
The company of 26 staff has a recreation club that plans local and overseas company outings.
It also organises weekly cookouts in the office kitchen, preparing dishes such as curry chicken and desserts for everyone.
‘We’re always looking for reasons to celebrate and eat out together,’ quips Ms Chong, who finds many companies these days have overlooked the importance of celebrating their employees’ birthdays.
‘Monetary reward is not everything,’ she says.
‘Working with a company that takes care of its staff, the community and the environment can be a morale booster for the employees as they know that whatever they’re doing goes back to society.’
