Author: Sherene Almjawer
Bunzl’s Annual Week of Giving Provides 4,000 lbs of Essential Supplies to Canadian Food Banks
Burlington, ON – December 2025 – Bunzl Canada is proud to announce its 2025 Week of Giving, continuing its partnership with Food Banks Canada to provide essential personal care, hygiene, and safety products to food banks nationwide.
This year’s initiative comes at a critical time as local food banks face mounting challenges: rising costs, declining donations, and unprecedented demand.
Throughout December, Bunzl Canada’s Cleaning & Hygiene and R3 Redistribution businesses are delivering approximately 13 pallets of non-food essentials (nearly 4,000 lbs in total) to Food Banks Canada distribution centres across the country. These donations include toilet tissue, hand soap, sanitizer, and household cleaning supplies. These items are vital for health and hygiene, yet often unaffordable for families struggling to put food on the table.
“In 2025, the need for community support is greater than ever. Our Week of Giving reflects Bunzl Canada’s belief that health and dignity should never be optional. By providing essential hygiene and safety products, we are helping families focus on what matters most: nourishment and well-being without having to make impossible choices,” said John Howlett, President of Bunzl Canada.
“Our roots in local communities make the Week of Giving more than a donation. It’s an opportunity to make a meaningful difference to Canadians facing hardship during the holiday season,” said Margo Hunnisett, Vice President of Marketing and Communications.
The annual Week of Giving is a BUNZL FOR BETTER initiative that reflects the company’s values and dedication to supporting Canadian communities and the environment. Together, we are building stronger, healthier communities where no one is left behind.
About Bunzl Canada
Bunzl Canada Inc. (bunzlcanada.ca) provides the cleaning and hygiene products and equipment, food and retail packaging, safety products and industrial supplies which keep over 59,000 Canadian businesses running optimally, every day. The company brings its customers the advantage of global sourcing, product innovation and national scale combined with responsive local service and deep category expertise. Bunzl Canada Inc. is an operating company of Bunzl plc (BNZL.L), a FTSE100 company listed on the London Stock Exchange in the Support Services sector.
Media Inquiries
Margo Hunnisett
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
Bunzl Canada Inc.
margo.hunnisett@bunzlcanada.ca
(905) 630-3749
Bunzl Helps Employers with Washroom Hygiene Legislation Compliance
Exclusive CleanWatch™ platform launched ahead of Ontario’s Bill 190 July 1, 2025 Deadline
Burlington, Ontario, May 28, 2025 – In response to Ontario’s Bill 190, which introduced stricter washroom hygiene standards effective July 1, 2025, Bunzl Canada introduced CleanWatch™, a cost-effective, simplified version of the platform designed to help employers comply with the new rules while improving cleanliness, safety and employee experience.
Introduced in Ontario in 2024, Bill 190, also known as the Working for Workers Five Act, amended several employment‑related statutes, including the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and the Employment Standards Act (ESA). As of July 1, 2025, constructors and employers are required to ensure washroom facilities provided for workers are kept in a clean and sanitary condition and that cleaning records are maintained. As of January 1, 2026, those records must also be easily accessible to workers.
The CleanWatch™ Solution
CleanWatch™ is a cutting-edge cleaning management software which transitions facilities from traditional, reactive cleaning methods to a proactive, data-driven approach. The new, simplified CleanWatch™ application enables employers to easily record washroom cleaning activities and make the information conveniently accessible via QR code, so that compliance with Bill 190 legislation is both straightforward and cost effective.
Compliance Made Easy
CleanWatch™ simplifies adherence to the legislative requirements by providing real-time monitoring and detailed reporting on washroom cleaning, ensuring that employers can quickly and easily meet the new standards.
“Bunzl is here to support Ontario businesses in achieving seamless compliance with minimal disruption,” said Bunzl Cleaning & Hygiene’s Sr. Vice President, Brock Tully. “By adopting this innovative solution, employers can not only meet the new legislative requirements but also exceed them, setting a new standard for workplace hygiene and employee safety.”
Bunzl Canada remains committed to providing solutions that improve facility hygiene, operational efficiency, and workplace safety across Ontario and beyond.
Click here to learn more about CleanWatch™
Bunzl’s 2024 National Toilet Paper Donation Campaign is on a Roll
National distributor partners with industry-leading manufacturers and Food Banks Canada for National Toilet Paper Day
Burlington, ON – August 26, 2024 – Bunzl Canada is proud to announce another BUNZL FOR BETTER initiative marking National Toilet Paper Day. Continuing its partnership with Food Banks Canada, the industry-leading national distributor will make a delivery of over 67,000 rolls of toilet tissue for food banks in communities across the country. This collaboration aims to highlight and address a critical need for personal hygiene products and other non-food essentials that many Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast struggle to afford.
“Toilet paper is a basic necessity that, sadly, for some families and individuals can be a challenge to obtain,” said Margo Hunnisett, Vice President, Marketing & Communications at Bunzl Canada. “That’s why it’s so important to both draw attention to this critical need, and to help address it through our own donations and those of our vendor partners.” Bunzl donated REGARD® and DuraPlus® brand toilet tissue along with product donated by its industry-leading vendor partners, Cascades, Sunset, Kruger, Essity (Tork), and Kimberly-Clark Professional. The collective donation will be distributed by Food Banks Canada to local food banks across the country.
“We’re proud to collaborate once again with Food Banks Canada and our generous vendor partners to support National Toilet Paper Day and help to ensure the supply of this essential product to families and individuals in need. It’s a small but significant way we can support the well-being of the most vulnerable in our communities nationwide, and that’s what BUNZL FOR BETTER is all about,” said John Howlett, President of Bunzl Canada.
Food Banks Canada’s track record in implementing transformative projects combines with Bunzl Canada’s commitment to community sustainability, national distribution network, and long-standing relationships with leading paper products manufacturers. It’s a natural partnership for this endeavour, providing hygiene products to Canadians in need and putting families in a better position to purchase food and other essentials.
“So many families across Canada are forced to make difficult decisions between purchasing essential household items, including toilet paper, and buying food,” shared Erin Filey-Wronecki, Chief Development and Partnerships Officer,Food Banks Canada. “Thank you to Bunzl and its vendor partners; through this donation, we can provide necessary hygiene products to our neighbours who need them most. Supporting this need alleviates some of the stress that so many people have when trying to purchase essential household items.”
For more information on how individuals and businesses can help reduce food insecurity and contribute items of greatest need, please contact your local food bank or visit foodbankscanada.ca. For more information about Bunzl Canada and its BUNZL FOR BETTER initiative, visit bunzlcanada.ca/Bunzl-For-Better.
About Food Banks Canada
Food Banks Canada provides national leadership to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow in collaboration with the food bank network from coast-to-coast-to-coast. For 40 years, food banks have been dedicated to helping Canadians living with food insecurity. Over 5,100 food banks and community organizations come together to serve our most vulnerable neighbours who in March of last year made nearly two million visits to these organizations, according to our 2023 HungerCount Report. Over the past 10 years, as a system we’ve sourced and shared over 1.4 billion pounds of food and Food Banks Canada shared nearly $168 million in funding to help maximize collective impact and strengthen local capacity – while advocating for reducing the need for food banks. Our vision is clear: create a Canada where no one goes hungry. Visit foodbankscanada.ca to learn more.
Driving for a Cure – Bunzl Raises Over $1.9M for Pediatric Brain Tumour Research
Burlington, ON – July 16, 2024 – Bunzl Canada announced it has hosted its 24th annual Ripple of Hope golf tournament in support of the Arthur & Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.
On July 9th, Bunzl Canada, its vendor partners, and its cleaning and hygiene, safety, industrial, grocery/retail/processor business customers gathered at Greystone Golf Club in Milton, Ontario. Participants enjoyed a day of fiesta-themed golf as they fundraised and increased awareness for Toronto SickKids’ advanced pediatric brain tumour research initiatives.
Over the last two decades, Bunzl Canada and its supporters have raised over $1.81 million to fund the revolutionary work at SickKids Hospital to combat life-threatening pediatric neurosurgical conditions. This year’s 24th annual tournament surpassed over $100,000 in donations alone.
Distinguished as the world’s largest research centre for brain tumour research, the team at Toronto’s SickKids Hospital, led by Dr. James Rutka, has led to the discovery and development of MRI-guided focused ultrasound technology to treat children with brain tumours. This revolutionary breakthrough offers a less intrusive way to deliver targeted chemotherapy to aggressive and terminal Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) pediatric brain tumour.
Since the last annual fundraising event, Dr. Rutka and his team, in partnership with the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, received approval for and began a world-first clinical trial with the newly developed MRI-guided technology. They’ve recently opened the trial to their colleagues in the United States.
“All centres are now entering patients into this study. Four patients have been treated, and each patient has gone through their therapies without any issues, side effects, challenges, and complications,” said Dr. Rutka. “As this is a safety and feasibility study, which means we’re determining whether opening the blood-brain barrier with MRI-guided focused ultrasound is safe, we’ve proven already that it is.”
MRI-guided focused ultrasound technology allows doctors to bypass the blood-brain barrier and directly target aggressive tumours within the brain stem. Dr. Rutka and the research team at Toronto’s SickKids Hospital plan to use immune-based therapy to achieve longer impacts of the therapy.
“We know that the impact of those agents [through immune-based therapy] will be longer after each drug administration than a single chemotherapeutic can be,” said Dr. Rutka.
“Canadians should be proud that we’re offering this for the first time in the world for children who have this devastating disease,” said Dr. Rutka. “The technology was funded through the Bunzl Golf Tournament, and we’re seeing a tangible impact now of how we can approach this devastating disease.”
“We want to thank all our valued customers and vendors for their contributions towards this life-saving research,” said John Howlett, Bunzl Canada’s President. “Dr. Rutka and his team at SickKids Hospital continue to pioneer groundbreaking treatments for children battling this devastating disease, and we’re excited to continue to support them in such important work.”
New REGARD Products Make Commercial Cleaning More Sustainable
Bunzl Canada Launches smart, environmentally friendlier cleaning chemical alternatives.
Burlington, ON – September 28, 2023 – Bunzl Canada announced today the recent launch of its new, environmentally preferable cleaning product line under the REGARD™ brand banner. Utilizing smart, innovative packaging is just one way the new line effectively reduces the environmental impact associated with procurement and delivery.
Consistent with Bunzl’s commitment to offering more sustainable solutions to customers in all its business segments, REGARD™ Eco-Friendlier Cleaning Solutions is a new line of ECOLOGO® and Green Seal™-certified, environmentally responsible cleaning products. The line is formulated to be non-caustic, hypoallergenic and provide a safer and healthier cleaning alternative. Most importantly, the high-performance products deliver exceptional cleaning results.
“More than ever, there’s a greater awareness of the importance of more sustainable cleaning practices,” said Jay Creek, Bunzl Cleaning & Hygiene’s Director of National Accounts. “Expectations have increased to ensure both the cleanliness and overall health of the building, its occupants, and it’s cleaning staff.”
The “eco-friendlier” aspects of these new products extend to both packaging and formulations. From disinfectants to washroom cleaners, each product is designed to minimize waste and resource consumption. REGARD™ Eco-Friendlier Cleaning Solutions’ packaging is made with 100% post-consumer recycled content, which exceeds the ECOLOGO® standard. The exclusion of virgin plastics is critical in reducing the amount of crude oil, gas and emissions required to for new plastic production. This initiative further supports the circular economy and the secondary market for recycled plastic.
REGARD™ Eco-Friendlier Cleaning Solutions are packaged to ensure every shipping pallet contains more units than pallets carrying products with traditional packaging to achieve a lower overall ecological footprint. Although many traditional cleaning chemicals come in circular bottles that provide stability and good pouring flow, they also leave a lot of unused space inside boxes when packaged and are not efficient in shipping. REGARD™ Eco-Friendlier Cleaning Solutions bottles have been purposefully designed in a unique ellipses shape that results in more product per box and less warehousing and transportation resource waste.
The concentrated formulas in the new REGARD line also help reduce environmental impact by providing more end-use cleaning solution delivered in fewer shipments. A single 3.78L bottle of highly concentrated REGARD™ Eco-Friendlier Glass and Multi-Surface Cleaner can produce more than 245 litres of diluted solution, equivalent to 64 containers of 3.8 litre pre-mixed glass cleaner—a significant environmental and cost savings.
“REGARD™ Eco-Friendlier Cleaning Solutions are world-class products with world-class performance – at a price that’s competitive and more sustainable,” said Creek.
According to Brock Tully, Vice President, Bunzl Cleaning and Hygiene, the company’s customers increasingly seek more sustainable cleaning product alternatives with the required efficacy for a wide range of commercial cleaning applications.
“Our customers count on us to lead the way with innovation that helps them achieve their sustainability objectives while maintaining the highest standards of cleaning quality,” said Brock Tully, Vice President, Bunzl Cleaning and Hygiene. “Our new REGARD™ Eco-Friendlier Cleaning Solutions offers a complete line of products designed to do exactly that.”
For more information on REGARD Eco-Friendlier Cleaning Solutions and the full line of products, visit bunzlch.ca/products/regard-eco-line/
Bunzl Canada Rolls Out National Toilet Paper Day Donation Campaign
National distributor partners with industry-leading manufacturers and Food Banks Canada
Burlington, ON – August 24, 2023 – Bunzl Canada is proud to mark National Toilet Paper Day on August 26, 2023, by partnering with Food Banks Canada to make a delivery equal to 27,424 rolls of toilet tissue to communities in need across the country. This collaboration aims to highlight and address a critical need for personal hygiene products and other non-food essentials many Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast struggle to afford.
“Access to restroom facilities and toilet tissue is fundamental to human health and dignity,” said Margo Hunnisett, Vice President, Marketing & Communications at Bunzl Canada. “We’re proud to participate, along with our vendor partners, in this annual initiative to both draw attention to this critical need, and to help address it through our donations to local food banks and other support centres.” Bunzl donated its own REGARD and DuraPlus brand toilet tissue in collaboration with industry-leading vendor partners, Essity, Kruger, and Kimberly-Clark. A collective donation equal to over 27,000 rolls of toilet tissue will be distributed by Food Banks Canada to local food banks across the country.
“As lingering effects of inflation and other economic challenges continue to increase the cost of living, it’s more important than ever to come together and support those who are most affected,” said John Howlett, President of Bunzl Canada. “We are honoured to partner with Food Banks Canada and our colleagues at Essity, Kruger, and Kimberly-Clark to support the well-being of individuals and families nationwide.”
Food Banks Canada’s track record in implementing transformative projects, along with Bunzl Canada’s national distribution network and long-standing relationships with leading paper products manufacturers, made for a natural partnership for this endeavor. With Bunzl Canada’s support, Food Banks Canada has greater resources to further focus on its mission to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow – a mission that resonates deeply in a time when many individuals and families are grappling with scarcity on multiple fronts. Providing hygiene products to Canadians in need alleviates some of the costs on essential household items, which puts families in a better position to use those cost savings to purchase food and other essential items.
For more information on how individuals and businesses can help reduce food insecurity and contribute items of greatest need, please contact your local food bank or visit www.foodbankscanada.ca.
About Food Banks Canada
Food Banks Canada provides national leadership to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow in collaboration with the food bank network from coast-to-coast-to-coast. For 40 years, food banks have been dedicated to helping Canadians living with food insecurity. Over 4,750 food banks and community organizations come together to serve our most vulnerable neighbours who in March of last year made nearly 1.5 million visits to these organizations, according to our 2022 HungerCount Report. Over the past 10 years, as a system we’ve sourced and shared over 1.4 billion pounds of food and Food Banks Canada shared nearly $168 million in funding to help maximize collective impact and strengthen local capacity – while advocating for reducing the need for food banks. Our vision is clear: create a Canada where no one goes hungry. Visit foodbankscanada.ca to learn more.
Swinging for Hope – Bunzl Raises Record Funds for Revolutionary Pediatric Brain Tumour Treatment
Burlington, ON – July 13, 2023 –Bunzl Canada is proud to have hosted its 23rd annual Ripple of Hope golf tournament in support of the Arthur & Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children.
On July 11th, Bunzl Canada, its vendor partners, and customers of its cleaning and hygiene, safety, industrial, grocery/retail/processor business segments gathered at Greystone Golf Club in Milton, Ontario. Participants enjoyed a day of golf, fundraised and increased awareness for Toronto SickKids’ advanced pediatric brain tumour research initiatives.
Over the last two decades, Bunzl Canada and its supporters have raised over $1.75 million to fund the revolutionary work at SickKids Hospital to combat life-threatening pediatric neurosurgical conditions. This year’s 23rd annual tournament surpassed $60,000 in donations alone.
Distinguished as the world’s largest research centre for brain tumour research, the team at Toronto’s SickKids Hospital, led by Dr. James Rutka, has led to the discovery and development of MRI-guided focused ultrasound technology to treat children with brain tumours. This revolutionary breakthrough offers a less intrusive way to deliver targeted chemotherapy to aggressive and terminal Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) pediatric brain tumour.
Since the last annual fundraising event, Dr. Rutka and his team, in partnership with the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, received approval to begin a world first clinical trial with the newly developed MRI-guided technology.
“I’m very pleased today to announce that we’ve enrolled the first patient on this clinical trial. This is the first patient in the world who has been treated for this disease with this [MRI-guided] technology,” said Dr. Rutka.
“I’ve been at this for over 30 years, and this is the first time in my career I’ve been able to take a research breakthrough from the bench to the bedside, treating the very first patient in the world with this novel strategy,” said Dr. Rutka.
MRI-guided focused ultrasound technology allows doctors to bypass the blood-brain barrier and directly target aggressive tumours within the brain stem. Dr. Rutka and the research team at Toronto’s SickKids Hospital plan to continue clinical trials of this transformative treatment, and hope to open the trial worldwide.
“Bunzl has been amazing in its support of our research efforts over more than 20 years now which is pivotal for us to do these types of clinical trials,” said Dr. Rutka. “Without that support, we wouldn’t be talking about going from concept to clinical trial as we can today.”
“Words can’t express our appreciation for the support and contributions from our vendor partners and customers,” said John Howlett, Bunzl Canada’s President. “We’re excited to continue to support Dr. Rutka and his amazing team at SickKids Hospital as they continue to develop revolutionary treatments for children battling this devastating disease.”
Bunzl’s Canadian National Sales Conference, 2023
Whistler, British Columbia – May 5, 2023 – In the last week of April 2023, Bunzl Canada held its first Canadian National Sales Conference in beautiful Whistler, B.C. Over 250 Bunzl team members and 50 industry-leading vendors gathered at The Westin Resort & Spa – Whistler for an opportunity to focus on category growth and go-to-market alignment, attend valuable meetings and spend unprecedented quality time meeting other professionals.
Our teams across all five segments – Cleaning & Hygiene, Safety, Industrial, Grocery, Retail & Processor, and R3 Redistribution Canada – learned what it takes to be “ALL IN” – the theme of the multi-day event. Embodying “ALL-IN” revolves around common goals with team members and vendors, and our vision to provide customers with product innovations, expert knowledge and all the tools they need to make their business more efficient.
To get everyone into the swing of the ALL-IN attitude, Bunzl Canada President, John Howlett kicked off the National Sales Conference with a Welcome Ceremony to energize Bunzl Canada staff. Later in the evening, Bunzl employees joined vendors for a networking and social dinner, which provided a chance to exchange ideas, gain insights and connect with colleagues and partners.
The Sales Conference really kicked off on April 25, traditional Squamish welcome to Whistler. The welcome was led by Kyle Lawrence, a Key Account Manager with Bunzl Industrial and member of Squamish Nation, who used the moment to educate Bunzl Canada guests about the history of traditional Squamish and Lil’wat territories on which Whistler sits. Joined by Nory Woolnough, a Regional HR Manager and member of Curve Lake Nation in Ontario, Lawrence explained how Whistler is the final resting place of Thunderbird, the great protector who taught Squamish and Lil’wat nations to work together – a lesson that mirrored the ALL-IN theme.
Once formally welcomed, the Canadian National Sales Conference began in earnest with a special address from Bunzl North America CEO Jim McCool, who highlighted the success and strategies shared by Bunzl Canada and its North American colleagues.
McCool was followed by John Howlett, who mapped out Bunzl Canada’s strategic vision through 2026, and highlighted how data analytics, e-commerce and category management will be critical in supporting customers and achieving Bunzl Canada’s goals.
Jeff Zettler, Vice President of Category Management and Margo Hunnisett, Vice President of Marketing & Communications elaborated on these points of focus, energizing the Bunzl Canada team and reinforcing the importance of collaborative efforts.
The General Session culminated in a Keynote Address from Jeremiah Brown, “The Four-Year Olympian.” Brown inspired the Bunzl Canada team by describing his dream to win an Olympic medal and how he became a member of the Canadian men’s eight rowing team at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Brown used his personal story and humour to encourage Bunzl Canada staff to find the courage to reach their goals and overcome the psychological traps and emotional pitfalls that lie hidden along the way.
Check out the highlight reel from the event:
Later in the day, Bunzl Sales teams gathered for focused breakout sessions where customer success stories were shared and sales professionals from across the country could further align on best-in-class solutions that respond to customer challenges and prioritize sustainability.
Day 1 culminated in the Northern Lights Achievement Awards Gala Dinner where John Howlett and Jim McCool, CEO of Bunzl North America, presented both vendors and Bunzl salespeople with awards and recognitions. All attendees celebrated the achievements of their peers, colleagues, and friends.
Several recently retired former employees who made significant contributions to the success of Bunzl Canada were honoured during the event, including Dave Huck (Vice President, Bunzl Safety), Doug Phillips (Director, Category Management, Bunzl Canada), Brian Fox (General Manager, Bunzl Canada and R3 Redistribution) and Sue Creelman (Director, Purchasing Logistics, Bunzl Canada).
Some of the other notable honours handed out during the gala included Sunset Paper (Jean Jobin) being named Bunzl Canada’s Vendor of the Year, Chris Martin (Bunzl Industrial) winning the award for Sales Manager of the Year and Corene Willoughby claiming the Top Gun Award as Bunzl Canada’s top sales professional of 2022.
Following a night of celebrating success, it was time to explore the Vendor Showcase, which provided a unique opportunity for Bunzl’s salespeople to meet with vendors to discuss strategy, innovations, create new business relationships and learn from industry experts.
The conference ended on a high note with an all-attendee dinner, leaving everyone feeling motivated to put their newfound knowledge and connections into action. We want to thank everyone for participating in the first ever Canadian National Sales Conference and exhibiting why Bunzl Canada continues to stay at the forefront of creative solutions and innovations.
Check out images from the event:
