The 4C system cuts everyday supply waste with four purchasing habits: buy what you use (consumption), place fewer, larger orders (consolidation), pick refillable or recycled-content lines where they suit the job (choice), and keep a standard list with reorder points (continuity). This guide gives you 16 steps to tick off and nine products we stock to put them into practice.
In our experience, most avoidable waste with office supplies comes from small habits that repeat. Stock gets bought twice because nobody checked the cupboard, and three small orders go in during the week when one planned order would have covered them.
Q4 is when many workplaces set budgets and standard orders for the year ahead, so it is a practical time to set these habits up. Most of the guide changes how you order and store, not what you buy.
Start with your ten most-ordered items. Look back over the last three months of orders, list the ten things you buy most often, and set a minimum level and one standard product for each.
From our team in Tweed Heads
Four purchasing habits, with steps to tick off
Work through each C and tick the steps as you go.
Prefer paper? Print this page (Ctrl + P or ⌘ + P) and only the guide will print. Ticks are not saved once you leave the page.
Consumption: buy what you use
Stationery cupboards, reception and staff rooms
A lot of supply waste starts with buying more than the team gets through. Stock that sits too long can be damaged or forgotten, and then it is bought again.
What to use: A5 notepads and tower packs of sticky notes for everyday notes and messages.
Consolidation: place fewer, larger orders
Procurement, office managers and multi-site teams
Several small orders a week usually means more deliveries to receive and more invoices to process. One planned order on a regular day is easier to approve and put away.
What to use: cartons of copy paper and boxes of pens and markers for the lines you reorder most.
Choice: refillable and recycled-content lines
Meeting rooms, classrooms and training rooms
Some everyday items come in a refillable version, or with recycled content stated by the maker. Where one of these suits the job, you can switch to it at your next reorder.
What to use: refillable whiteboard markers and ballpoint pens that take a replacement refill.
Refillable whiteboard markers · Whiteboard marker refills · Pen refills
Continuity: keep supply steady and storage in order
Admin, reception and facilities teams
When something runs out, people tend to buy whatever is closest, often in the wrong size or quantity. A written standard list and a reorder point keep the right products coming in, and good storage keeps them usable.
What to use: archive boxes and stackable trays that keep records and work in progress in one place.
Before your next order, check four things
- Consumption. Does the quantity match what the team used last period?
- Consolidation. Can this go into your regular order day?
- Choice. Is there a refillable or recycled-content line that suits the job?
- Continuity. Is it on your standard list, with a minimum level set?
Products we stock for each of the four Cs
Nine lines from our range that fit the guide above. Any recycled content or certification mentioned is taken from the product's own description.
Consumption
Writer Recycled Ruled Notepad A5 80 Sheet 200 x 150mm Pack of 20
Twenty A5 notepads measuring 200 x 150mm, each with 80 sheets of 55gsm paper and 8mm ruling. The pads come in pairs under a printed Writer band.
Good for call notes and lists at a front counter, where an A4 pad is more than you need.
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Consumption
Post-it Recycled Notes Canary Yellow 76 x 76mm Pack of 16 654-1T
Sixteen canary yellow 76 x 76mm pads of 100 sheets, stacked in a slim card tower. The cut-away front shows at a glance how many pads are left.
Suits a shared print room or reception counter where people help themselves.
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Consolidation
Reflex Copy Paper A4 80gsm White Carton of 15
Fifteen reams of Reflex A4 80gsm white copy paper in one carton. Each ream stays wrapped until it is opened, so the stack in the cupboard stays clean and flat.
One carton delivery replaces a run of single-ream orders.
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Consolidation
Sharpie Permanent Marker Fine Point Black Box of 36
Thirty-six black fine point permanent markers in one box, for labelling, carton marking and signage. Sharpie lists the ink as permanent on paper, plastic and metal.
One box keeps a whole site on the same marker.
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Choice
Pilot BegreeN V Board Master Whiteboard Marker Bullet Medium Black Box of 10
A refillable whiteboard marker with low-odour ink that erases dry. When the ink runs low, you swap in a V Board Master refill and keep the pen. Box of 10.
Order the matching V Board Master refills at the same time.
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Choice
Pilot BegreeN V Board Master Whiteboard Marker Refill Black Box of 12
Twelve black ink cartridges for the refillable V Board Master. Pilot list the V Board Master barrel and cap as made from 93 per cent recycled materials.
Check first: the V Board Master S takes a different refill.
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Choice
Pilot BegreeN Feed GP4 4 in 1 Retractable Ballpoint Pen Medium Black Barrel Box of 10
A retractable four-colour ballpoint with black, blue, red and green 1.0mm tips, in a black barrel made from 81 percent recycled plastic. It is refillable with Pilot RFNS-GG refills. Box of 10.
Good for marking work and filling in forms that need different ink colours.
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Continuity
Marbig Enviro Standard Archive Box with Attached Lid Brown Carton of 10
A brown kraft archive box with the lid hinged to the back wall, so the lid stays with the box. Medium Strength, printed with a 25kg limit and a 5 high stacking figure. Carton of 10.
At the end of the year, write the contents and date in the ruled area on each end.
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Continuity
Marbig Enviro Document Jumbo Tray Black
A deep, stackable document tray measuring 330 x 300 x 140mm, for bound reports and piles that overflow a standard tray. ACCO describe it as twice the thickness of standard document trays.
Stack two or three to keep work in progress in one place.
View productThree ways to keep ordering simple
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Put it into one order
Collect requests from each room or team and send them as one order on your regular day. Free standard delivery applies to eligible orders over $149.95 to most ACT, NSW, QLD and VIC metro areas.*
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Plan bulky lines separately
Washroom cartons such as hand towel and toilet paper ship on separate bulky freight, and hardware ships at a flat rate. Planning these as their own regular order keeps freight predictable.
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Ask for a quote on volume
For standard orders across several sites or departments, use Add to Quote or Bulk Enquiry on the product page, or talk to our team.
*Bulky items, hardware, regional and remote deliveries are excluded. See shipping and delivery information for full details.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 4C system for workplace supplies?
The 4C system is a set of four purchasing habits for reducing everyday supply waste in a workplace. Consumption means buying what you use. Consolidation means placing fewer, larger orders. Choice means picking refillable or recycled-content lines where they suit the job. Continuity means keeping a standard list and reorder points so supply stays steady.
How do I refill a Pilot V Board Master whiteboard marker?
Pilot supply a replacement ink cartridge for the V Board Master that unscrews and swaps out, so you keep the pen and replace only the ink. The V Board Master S uses a different refill, so check which pen you have before you order. Refills are listed in our whiteboard marker refills collection.
How can I tell if a product has recycled content?
Check the product description on the product page. Where a maker states recycled content or a certification, such as a recycled percentage or FSC certification, it is included there. If the description does not mention it, we do not claim it. For a specific requirement, contact our team and we will check with the supplier.
Can we set up one regular order for several sites?
Yes. Use Add to Quote or Bulk Enquiry on any product page to build your standard list, or contact our team with the items and quantities you need for each site.
Does free delivery apply if we combine our orders?
Free standard delivery applies to eligible orders over $149.95 to most ACT, NSW, QLD and VIC metro areas. Bulky items, hardware, regional and remote deliveries are excluded. See our shipping and delivery information for full details.
Set up the four Cs before your next order
Check what you use, pick a regular order day, switch to refillable lines where they suit and write down your standard list. If you would like a hand choosing products for any of the four Cs, our team can help.
Mega Office Supplies helps Australian workplaces, from small offices to schools, keep the everyday essentials covered, from our Tweed Heads team and our suppliers' warehouse network nationwide.
