People wearing green shirts that say "Volunteer" and are handing out food to other people
Community Engagement

Keeping our communities healthy, fed, clean, and safe

Now more than ever, it is essential to lead with enduring purpose and protect our communities. We continue to work on the safe delivery of the chemicals and ingredients needed to produce clean water, reduce food waste, make travel possible and keep the lights on – but our work does not end there. We also continue to support local charities, non-profit organizations and community groups.

Learn more about how Univar Solutions acts on its commitments to help keep society healthy, fed, clean and safe through robust community engagement.

Liam McCarrollLiam McCarroll

Brandon Lyssy

Director, Global Engagement and Inclusion

“At Univar Solutions, we embrace the responsibility to give back to the communities in which we work and live. Whether we are contributing to charitable organizations through financial investments or supporting employee volunteering efforts, we continuously strive to strengthen our communal bonds.”

Where we take action

Delivering kindness runs deep in our DNA, and the many charitable partnerships we engage in around the world only strengthen the good we do. We deliver some of the best chemistries and ingredients in the world, but we’re most in our element when we are delivering on our purpose to keep our local communities healthy, fed, clean and safe.

2022 Performance Highlights

In 2022, Univar Solutions was effecitve at demonstrating our commitment to help keep society healthy, fed, clean, and safe through financial investment and employee involvement in the communities in which we live and work.

  • Launched COMMUNITY BONDS Volunteering Paid Time Off for the USA, Canada, and Brazil to over 6,500 employees.
  • Recognized by the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society with “The Complete Package” Award for the resources and engagement created to see a world without MS.
  • Donated over $300,000 to causes across the globe that improve the health and lives of those in need.
Four people all wearing white shirts outside are working together to lift up a wooden frame.Four people all wearing white shirts outside are working together to lift up a wooden frame.
A man is sitting down in a community garden surrounded by a group of children showing them different plants.A man is sitting down in a community garden surrounded by a group of children showing them different plants.

Promoting and elevating kindness in our communities

As we move forward, we have introduced our approach to community engagement, called COMMUNITY BONDS. This is our holistic approach to inspire volunteering, maintain financial contributions to charitable organizations and raise our voice for important causes.

COMMUNITY BONDS is how we inspire our people to join together to “give great” to the communities where we live and work – going beyond our walls to make a lasting, positive impact for the world. The approach is designed to inspire and empower employees to strengthen our communities by: supporting health and wellness, promoting safety and belonging, advancing STEM education, protecting the environment, and advocating for others.

Working together to improve our shared communities

Despite continued challenges in 2021 brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and other disruptions, we have continued to keep our communities healthy, fed, clean and safe. We know the role our company plays in the production of clean water, reduction of food waste, promotion of efficient travel and empowerment of society through responsible resource use.

With the need for social distancing and safety precautions, our people have been successful at finding creative ways to advance progress in our communities. We may have not been able to gather in large groups, but that did not stop us from continuing the good work that so many organizations have come to expect from us.

Across North America

  • For over seven years, we supported the National MS Society and participated, where possible, in Bike MS events around the US. During the pandemic, we continued to participate in both virtual and reduced-capacity in-person rides, raising funds and serving as a sponsor for the Tour de Farms ride in Illinois.
  • We were pleased to continue our support for organizations like The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Chicago, which funds research into the causes, detection and cure of prostate cancer. In 2021, we raised funds through employee campaigns and donated $50,000 on behalf of our company.
  • Additionally, in August 2021, we donated $50,000 to the American Red Cross for relief efforts after Hurricane Ida ripped through the Gulf Coast, supporting impacted employees and communities.

Across the world

  • In EMEA, our business kicked off a 5-year program with the Brilliant Junior Academy in Watamu, Kenya. This program sponsors 50 children for their school fees, books and uniforms, and supports a school garden kitchen with chickens and food. Our employees also engage in a pen pal program where children of employees and the children in the school swap monthly letters and drawings around a theme. Other teams across EMEA have taken part in various volunteering activities while adhering to pandemic-related safety restrictions.
  • In Italy, our team enjoyed tree planting and worked together to beautify a retirement home.
  • In Belgium, teams scoured beaches to remove waste.
  • In the UK, employees worked with ‘Inspiring the Future’ to connect with schools and help with classroom activities such as career preparation and mock interviews.

Case Study: Creating a healthier world for underserved pregnant women and children

As a global distributor of nutraceutical ingredients for more than 50 years, Univar Solutions is no stranger to improving lives and strengthening communities through nutrition. We have partnered with Vitamin Angels, a non-profit organization working to improve nutrition and health in low-resource locations in the world. The non-governmental organization reaches 60 million pregnant women and children in every state in the US and across 65 countries worldwide.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that at least half of the world's population lacks access to essential health services. Together with Vitamin Angels, Univar Solutions' nutraceutical ingredients team is helping reduce malnutrition across the crucial span of a child's development, from conception to 5 years of age. Along with an immediate impact on health and nutrition, our support helps to create a foundation for a more nutritionally sound future for women and children in many underserved communities.

To learn more about how you can support Vitamin Angels through Univar Solutions, visit univarsolutions.com/vitaminangels.

A group of people all wearing masks are working in a warehouse and packing up cardboard boxes with supplies.A group of people all wearing masks are working in a warehouse and packing up cardboard boxes with supplies.