Plastic Free Planet Magazine

Plastic free

planet FLOW HIVE: SAVING OUR BEES

WHY IS

GREEN-WASTE DISPOSAL SO IMPORTANT?

HELP MAKE YOUR COMMUNITY

PLASTIC FREE! THE NICE COFFEE CO: HOW COFFEE CAN SAVE THE PLANET

Contents 9

The Nice Coffee Co. Can Coffee Solve The World’s Problems?

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Recycling Plastics - Simple!

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Who Is Making A Difference In The World

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Flow Hive: Saving Our Bees

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9 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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Getting Rid Of Green Waste Why It Is So Important?

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Pottery For The Planet

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Better For The Environment, Better For Us

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Help Make Your Community Plastic Free

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The Real Cost Of Going Green

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Contributors Cedar Anderson, Flow Hive

Having grown up on a bushland “intentional community” in the Rainbow Region of NSW, Australia, Cedar didn’t have a telly growing up. Instead, he spent his time tinkering and coming up with crazy inventions to delight his friends and family. As an adult, work revolved his other consuming passion, flight, as a paragliding instructor and capturing aerial footage for Greenpeace. Having been a third-generation beekeeper since the tender age of six, it was during a particularly nasty summer honey harvest that Cedar decided, “there had to be a better way.” Now, Cedar is at the head of Australian manufacturing success story with Flow having shipped more than 55,000 orders all around the world. He lives on the far north coast of NSW with his partner, Kylie, and their two children (fourth generation beekeepers). honeyflow.com.au

Plastic Free Noosa

Plastic Free Noosa work in the local community to directly reduce single-use plastic items, and to empower the community to make lasting changes towards a circular economy. In a nutshell, they work directly with food retailers, events, markets, and other organisations and assist them to switch from single-use plastics to better alternatives, such as reusable (preferred) or compostable items. They also work with council, suppliers, manufacturers, waste transport operators and composters to deliver real solutions to businesses to strive for a plastic free community. plasticfreeplaces.org

Renton & Claire, Pottery For The Planet

Renton and Claire started Pottery For The Planet a few years ago making limited edition pottery pieces to raise funds for environmental causes. They decided to do something about the single use plastics issue and started making our reusable coffee cups to reduce waste and landfill. They are both very passionate about the environment so a few years ago they came up with the idea because neither of us like using paper cups, ever! It’s all about trying to promote people to get a handmade, local and sustainable product that is all to do with reducing waste. potteryfortheplanet.com

Jim Chapman, The Nice Coffee Co.

Jim Chapman is the founder of The Nice Coffee Co. - a social enterprise on the Gold Coast which sources ethical coffee from Kenya and Uganda, supplies it in biodegradable pods (Nespresso) and beans. All profits go towards providing education in Kibera Slum, Kenya, not far from where Jim’s family now live. He is on a mission to create a more sustainable environmental and social future. The biodegradable coffee pods are made 100% from the sugar cane plant – meaning they break down within 12 weeks of use – and are filled with our specialty single origin coffee. nicecoffee.org

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Editor In Chief Brigid Chapman

Welcome to Plastic Free Planet Magazine!

We created this magazine to educate and inspire you along your journey with sustainable ideas and inspirations that will help you to make choices that support our environment. We want to combat single use plastics and are passionate about finding and sharing ways to make it possible for us all to actually achieve.

We are very excited to have Cedar Anderson of Flow Hive in this issue. Take some time to read about the beehive that releases honey via a tap, without needing to handle the bees. It’s well worth your time. Honeybee colonies have decreased nearly 60 per cent since 1947 and Flow Hive are revolutionizing bee keeping to help save our precious honey-makers.

Also in this issue, meet Jim Chapman of The Nice Coffee Company. Jim has dedicated his career to changing the 55 million coffee pods being sent to landfill every day to biodegradable pods which looks after their

supply chain, the environment, and the poor, with all proceeds going directly back to one of their projects.

Other great info included in this issue is…

• Pottery For The Planet • Getting Rid Of Green Waste - Why It Is So Important?

• Help Make Your Community Plastic Free • The Real Cost Of Going Green…...and much more.

Our goal with Plastic Free Planet Magazine is to support you on your journey to live a life that supports our environment to provide a healthy planet for future generations.

Thanks for taking the time to read it!

Brigid Chapman

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The Nice Coffee Co.

Can Coffee Solve The World’s Problems?

Jim Chapman’s world is one full of stark contrast. From the pristine, affluent neighbourhoods of his home on the Gold Coast, to the slums of Africa, where poverty is incomprehensible to the average Australian – Jim has seen it all.

Jim grew up in Australia, but his family moved to Kenya in 2008, where his parents run a safari lodge and aid in charity work.

Jim travels between the two countries while studying, but is still shocked by the differences he encounters each time he steps off a plane.

“When we moved there, my eyes were opened to a totally new world; one of poverty, lack of opportunity and yet full of hope and potential.

We became involved with a school in Kibera Slum, the largest slum in Africa, and every time I would return to Australia, I couldn’t stop contrasting these two worlds – one where the average income is less than a dollar per day, and the other where we spend $4.50 on a cup of coffee,” Jim said.

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While drinking coffee at university back in the Gold Coast one day, Jim realised he had the opportunity to do something to help.

In business school, he learnt that most companies exist to make a profit and to maximise shareholder wealth. Essentially, when it comes to business, capitalism is the driving force.

However, there is an alternative, one that taps into the fundamental humanitarian perspective that people are inherently selfless and want to do good.

“When profit is the fundamental goal of the business, it comes at the expense of the environment and many parts of the developing world. Capitalism is great, but it forgets one thing - that people are selfless and want to help each other. This is when I became very interested in the idea of social business - businesses dedicated to serving some of the world’s most pressing needs.”

What could he do? Coffee was his answer.

This humble and much-loved caffeinated beverage became the way Jim and his soonto-be social business could leverage the greatest impact from a single, well-marketed 10

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product. It not only has mass appeal and high consumption, but also has strong links to the developing world as well as environmental concerns.

“I thought coffee was the way to have the greatest impact, not only because it is the second largest traded commodity in the world, but because 90 per cent of it is grown in the developing world, and yet 90 per cent of it is consumed in the First World. Over 17 million cups are consumed in Australia each day alone,” Jim said.

“From an environmental perspective, shockingly, over 55 million coffee pods are sent to landfill every day… This is because most of our coffee pods are either not recycled, or are not able to be processed by our recycling systems (they are too small).”

Enter - The Nice Coffee Co. Jim created The Nice Coffee Co. to help break this cycle of injustice, both from a social as well as environmental perspective. At present, Jim works on the business mainly from Australia and his brother, Charley, manages the project from Kenya. All proceeds

from the sale of their ethically-sourced, fair trade coffee go directly to helping one of their projects. The focus is on rebuilding the Kibera Slum school and providing better quality educational opportunities for the local children.

As a consumer, Jim’s coffee provides an opportunity to give back to the poorest in the world, as well as reduce plastic use in the home through a simple switch from the standard pods we have all come to recognise.

The Nice Coffee Co. has partnered with a bio-pod packer in Queensland, which uses the sugar cane plant to manufacture the pods.

After use, the pods biodegrade in just 12 weeks, leaving no trace to pollute the earth.

Rest assured, the taste is still amazing; Jim has never compromised on quality for his signature beans.

“We want The Nice Coffee Co to be a model business that others can follow, one that looks after its supply chain, the environment, and the poor. That’s why we wanted to create the biodegradable pod - to help businesses and consumers reduce their impact on the environment.”

“The power of the consumer is remarkable. By making conscious purchases regarding plastic, we are able to send clear messages to producers that we want change. If you are currently buying coffee pods, do you really know where that pod will end up?”

As well as supplying home connoisseurs with a steady supply of feel-good coffee, The Nice Coffee Co. has expanded to offer machines, pods and beans to a range of corporate customers around the country. The team is committed to continue their work in Kenya through encouraging a new wave of hotels and corporate customers to further buoy their impact and continue expanding their projects.

Log onto www.nicecoffee.org to find out more about the projects and – importantly – the beans. If you work in an office of coffee-lovers, consider getting in touch with The Nice Coffee Co. for your corporate coffee solutions. nicecoffee.org

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REPLACING PLASTICS – SIMPLE! Like many of us, Jack and Brigid Chapman were happy to hear that the supermarkets around the globe were starting to support the move to get rid of single use plastic, including the thin plastic bags at the checkouts after hearing some of the following points that hit home about the massive devastation in our waterways and oceans from single use bags • Up to 80 per cent of ocean plastic pollution enters the ocean from land.

• At least 267 different species have been affected by plastic pollution in the ocean.

• 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags, annually.

• Plastic bags are used for an average of 12 minutes.

• It takes 500 years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill - unfortunately the bags don't break down completely but instead photo-degrade, becoming micro plastics that absorb toxins and continue to pollute the environment.

It’s time to stop using these bags FOR GOOD. Living on North Coast of NSW and spending mornings walking on the beach, Jack and Brigid were impressed to hear that action 12

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was being taken. Being the cook of the house, Jack has been doing the shopping for many years, so it didn’t take long for him to become confused and frustrated with the local supermarkets attempts to phase out single use bags.

‘They are just replacing thin plastic with thick plastic but, it’s still bloody plastic!” he said.

“Where are the biodegradable bags? They have thick plastic, polyester, which is more plastic and nylon (plastic again) even those ‘green bags’ made out of, you guessed it, a form of plastic!”

These are questions many of us are asking, so Jack went looking for the answers.

The criteria was: • • • • • • •

PLASTIC FREE Biodegradable 100% natural fibres Light weight Scrunch up to fit a few in a handbag Fit on the existing shop infrastructure Strong enough to hold what the plastic bags held

The only thing that came close was jute or hessian bags but they were a bit big and bulky, so he went online to see if he could get something there. He found plenty of places promising “green” or “environmentally friendly” bags, but they were just reusable bags and generally more plastic. There was one saying it was made from ‘parachute silk” but this turned out to be made from Nylon – yep, you guessed it, plastic again.

After a trip to Vietnam, Brigid arrived home with an idea. She pulled her sewing machine out and made a prototype for a bag that ticked all of the boxes, then sent it off to a factory at Da Nang, run by a Buddhist lady, Anh Thi, who was keen to help the environment.

They called them Byron Eco Bags, and they were: • • • • • • • • •

PLASTIC FREE Biodegradable 100% natural fibres Lightweight – 46g / 1.6 oz Scrunched up to fit 5 in a handbag Fit on the existing shop infrastructure Strong – hold 8kg / 17lb 6 oz 50% Silk to make it compact and strong 50% cotton for affordability

“It just made sense that we should be using something like this but, instead, the supermarkets went from supplying cheap plastic bags, to making millions of dollars from thicker plastic bags and not helping to reduce plastic from our environment,” Brigid says.

“Seeing the number of sea birds that starve to death from eating large amounts of plastic, the effect on turtles eating plastic bags - it made sense that living by the sea, we should be using something that would break down in the ocean or if it was somehow ingested by animals.”

“Silk being a protein and cotton being plant based satisfies this issue. Our care label is cotton and the rubber hook used to hook on the shopping stands doubles as the secure wrap to hold the bag tightly in your hand bag,” she says.

They decided one more important feature would be to donate 10% of profits to The Ocean Cleanup. Their invention of a floating system which has been designed to capture plastics ranging from small pieces just millimetres in size, up to large debris, including massive discarded fishing nets which can be tens of meters wide, is predicting they could clean 50% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in just five years.

Learn more about Byron Eco Bags and the impact of plastic in our environment and what some great businesses are doing to solve these problems at HealthyPlanetNow.com Healthy Planet Now.

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Who is making a difference in the world?

While the global community still has a long way to go in addressing the numerous problems facing our planet, some countries are emerging as leaders in advocating change, development and environmental responsibility.

Here are a few examples of countries leading the way with their positive global contributions to the preservation of our planet and climate change.

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NORWAY

SWEDEN

This country is a trailblazer in environmental initiatives through a combination of government policies and lifestyle choices.

Norwegians embrace the concept of friluftsliv, which translates to ‘open-air life’ and promotes the importance of spending time outdoors in order to be happy and healthy.

In addition to lifestyle, the Norwegian government has led the world in a number of environmental initiatives including the highest electric car adoption rate in the world and a government pledge for the nation to be climate neutral by 2030. The country is also powered sustainably with 99% of its domestic energy being sourced through hydropower from its coastline, waterfalls and fjords. The capital city Oslo was named the 2019 European Green Capital by the European Commission for their tremendous work in restoring waterways, becoming car-free in the city centre, and their investment in cycling and public transportation.

Recently having passed a law obligating the government to cut all greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, the Nordic country is considered by many to be the most renewable energy friendly in the world. Other environmental initiatives that set them apart from the rest include their highly successful recycling program, which has seen it having to actually import waste in order to keep the recycling facilities operating. With a strong focus on work/life balance, free education and social rights, Sweden is a world leader in many ways.

PORTUGAL Portugal was one of the pioneering countries to invest in a full network of charging stations for electric cars. They are considered as

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world leaders in incentivising citizens to install solar power and renewable energy by offering lower rates and the option to sell back energy to the grid. Composting and recycling is an everyday part of life in Portugal, with specialised bins located in all neighbourhoods making recycling easy and efficient. Education has been key to promoting environmental efforts within the nation with schools running specialised environmental programs aimed at fostering a respect for the environment amongst the next generation. Although the use of bicycles isn’t as popular in Portugal as in other European countries, other sustainable modes of transport, such as electric scooters, have become extremely popular.

INDONESIA Not a country that naturally springs to mind when you think of environmental protection, considering its vast population and massive environmental challenges, it is a country that is having step up to the plate to make productive changes. Home to the world’s 16th largest economy, it’s no secret that Indonesia’s economic success is having a huge environmental impact. The nation is the world’s fifth largest emitter of greenhouse gases as a result of its forest conversions.

This not only impacts the world environment, but is also a huge problem for national health with over 60% of Jakarta’s population 16

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suffering from air related pollution problems.

As a response to these huge environmental impacts Indonesia has taken the strong stance to commit to reducing emissions by 29% by 2030. It has also undertaken a massive national development plan which focuses on ecosystem restoration as well as a social forestry program targeting approximately 31 million acres of land and allowing farmers to use designated forest plots legally for up to 35 years. All these measures are aimed at relieving the environmental impact that their growing economy is having on not only their domestic but also the global ecosystem. A great step in the right direction.

ICELAND With their incredibly green forests, excellent water quality and low levels of air pollution, Iceland is considered to be one of the most environmentally friendly countries on the planet. The reason for its great record? A long and continued commitment to environmental issues. The nation is undoubtedly still reaping the benefits from its 1999 Nature Conservation Act, which set laws in place to protect the land from construction, deforestation and other damaging action. In addition, over 70% of the country’s total energy consumption comes from hydro and geothermal resources. A great example of a nation making the most on its natural resources without exploiting them!

These countries mentioned are a small snapshot of some of the world’s nations that are making positive changes to improve the environmental impact of globalisation.

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FL W HIVE SAVING OUR BEES

What began as a hobby, passed down from generation to generation, has since turned into a revolution among beekeepers. Father and son duo, Stuart and Cedar Anderson, have been keeping bees for most of their lives.

According to Cedar, people often ask if they ever think of giving it up, to which the answer is always no. Instead, they took nearly a decade to create and develop a beehive that releases honey via a tap, without needing to handle the bees, called Flow Hive.

Bees are fascinating creatures, and unfortunately in need of saving. According to Greenpeace, honeybee colonies have

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beekeepers, and hopefully a resistance to the global honeybee decline. We spoke more with Cedar about Flow Hive and how it’s efforts toward sustainability are helping the bees.

Tell us a little about Flow Hive.

Cedar Anderson: The Flow Hive started with the thought, “There has to be an easier way.”

I was extracting honey in the conventional fashion, a labour intensive process that would take all weekend making a big, sticky mess in the shed.

decreased nearly 60 per cent since 1947. The decline is likely due to the increased use of pesticides in crops and parasites that thrive in bee colonies. “We need to save the honeybees,” Cedar urges, “Not for the selfish reason of having food types on our supermarket shelves, but because if we can’t provide a world where honeybees can survive, we are going to lose many species and eventually find it hard to survive ourselves.”

Since it’s release, Flow Hive has received vast amounts of praise and criticism but has also been credited as revolutionizing beekeeping.

It also has encouraged a new generation of

I thought there had to be a better way that is gentler for the bees and a lot easier on the beekeeper. So, I came up with the concept of being able to turn a tap on the beehive and have the honey flow straight out.

Inventing the Flow Hive was a process trying, failing, and trying again. It took extreme amounts of perseverance and optimism to carry an idea into a disruptive technology that can change the world. Since then, I’ve learned business is a game of perseverance and problem-solving to overcome obstacles. Many thought what we had invented wasn’t even possible, wouldn’t work. Many thought we’d never be able to start from scratch and be able to make and deliver 25,000 hives in an eightmonth period.

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How does it work?

CA: The Flow Hive differs from a conventional beehive in a major way: it contains our Flow frame in the honey super. Otherwise, the beehive is pretty similar – the brood box, the queen still doing her thing on wood and wax, the bees having their babies as usual. And then we come along with our Flow frames and put them on top.

There’s a plastic foundation, or party-drawn foundation matrix, that the bees cover in wax and build their comb onto to create the honeycomb. Then we come along from the outside, insert something that looks like a long Allen key, turn it, and channels from inside the comb allow the honey to flow inside of the frame into the trough in the bottom and through a tube into your jar. What that means is that at the turn of a handle, you’ve got beautiful, fresh honey flowing out of your hive into your jar that needs no further processing.

How does that compare to traditional beekeeping?

CA: If you compare Flow Hive to a traditional set up, you have to get in a bee suit, smoke the bees, pull apart the hive, take those frames out and take them to a processing shed or laundry, cut the wax capping off the frames with a heated knife, put those frames into a centrifugal extractor, spin that up to a high speed, and spin the honey out. [After that, you may have to process and filter the honey if any wax or bee bits travel with it.]

If that’s not enough work, you have to then go back to the hives, get in your bee suit again, pull the hive apart, put those frames back in the same hive (so not to spread disease), and the process starts again.

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[With Flow Hive], at the turn of a handle, you’ve cut out many hours of hot, sticky work pulling apart the hive. It’s not hard to squash bees when you’re doing that conventional processing, and it just changes the experience to a turn-handled solution.

Let’s talk about bees: Some complaints about beekeeping for honey suggest tapping for honey takes the caring for bees aspect of beekeeping out of the equation. You guys seem to care about bees and protecting them, so what would you say to someone with that worry?

CA: There are some people who keep bees and don’t want to harvest honey, just keep them for pollination. But I’d say the majority of people keep bees because of their

create online content for people to learn from, and I answer questions from new beekeepers live every week.

So contrary to initial fears, we have a whole new wave of excited and caring beekeepers in the world. If we look after the bees, they’ll look after us…and the honey is an amazing bonus.

On the same note, another complaint is that beekeeping disrupts the bees and creates stress.

How do your products work in favor of the bees?

CA: We invented the Flow Hive because we wanted a honey harvesting process without the disruptive, conventional method. With it, you can often harvest honey behind the hive without the bees even noticing it’s happening.

They go about their usual business. We achieved our goal of harvesting honey in a way far less stressful for the bees. And when the bees are less stressed, they’re less susceptible to pests and disease.

extraordinary ability to bring in honey. Wasps also live in colonies and can pollinate, but they don’t seem to be so attractive to keep.

So most beekeepers start off keeping bees because of the honey. Then some of them find beekeeping so fascinating they end up keeping them for other reasons—to learn how the hive works and the intricate nature of how they work together as a colony, and their ability to pollinate.

The Flow Hive attracted a lot of attention in the beginning. It also inspired a new wave of amateur beekeepers, and we’re so happy to say many of our new beekeepers are becoming so fascinated with the bees. They’re doing a fantastic job looking after and caring for the bees, and we’ve taken it upon ourselves to

Sustainability and environmental protection go hand in hand, and that includes beekeeping. Is it a sustainable effort?

CA: The great thing about beekeeping, and one of the things that drives us to keep producing hives and sending them into the world, is when people become a beekeeper, they can’t help but start to see the world in a different way, noticing what’s flowering, the effect of what something has on our environment and ecosystem.

Honeybees need an ecosystem that has diversity of pollen. Pollen are their protein, and nectar is their carbohydrate. If they’re fed only one, they’ll get sick like us. And bees also need an environment free from lethal insecticides.

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For us, each hive we post out is a window into the world, and the interconnectedness of all things that we completely depend on. So yes, sustainability is something we’re completely passionate about.

How are the materials you use more sustainable than other options on the market?

CA: Almost everything we do in our lives have ramifications on our earth and our natural resources. We think about this a lot, and it’s why we’ve recently become a B Corp. But it’s only the beginning.

Humans have a long way to go before we can truly say that what we do day to day is sustainable. The transition we need to make is something we have to continue forever. So when it comes choosing components for our Flow Hives, we look into it deeply and make the most sustainable options we can find.

For wood components, that means making sure the harvesting operations are sustainable. And for plastic components, making sure they are long lasting and closed

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look recyclable. For our hives, making sure we’re choosing the very best plastics when it comes to food contact, even though the bees cover all the components in wax.

Plastic foundations have been used for decades in conventional beekeeping, but they haven’t always been made out of the best plastics. We considered all sorts of materials, glass vs. metal, etc., but plastic is the best option, specifically polypropylene.

Polypropylene was a good choice because, while it isn’t as strong as other plastics, it’s the best food-grade plastic we could find. The materials for the clear faces were important, and we chose copolyester, because that’s what is used in babies’ bottles and it’s free from BPA and BPS or any bisphenol products.

For the rest of the hive, we decided to keep it as natural as possible, using wooden materials and wooden frames and letting the bees naturally draw their comb from the frames, rather than providing any plastic in the brood box. honeyflow.com.au

Want to bring the magic of beekeeping to your garden?

Homegrown honey is now so much easier with Flow’s patented technology. You can experience the unique seasonal flavours of your garden with pure, unprocessed honey straight from the hive...

... and your garden will thrive with the extra pollination!

I bought this hive for my Dad’s 80th Birthday. He is absolutely thrilled with it. He watched the easy tutorials on putting it together, got his bees a week later and it is literally a hive of activity. He watches them all the time and has been planting all sorts of bee-friendly plants to add to his already beautiful garden. ~ PAT, DYRRING, NSW

We’re here to help

GOOD DESIGN AWARD PRODUCT OF THE YEAR 2016

I am very impressed with both my flow hives.

I have two now. They are so easy to use when I’m extracting the honey and I’m not disturbing the bees very much at all. And they both look lovely in the garden. Couldn’t be happier with them. Thank you. ~ ELLLEN, ELANORA, QLD

• Read 100s more testimonials from Flow Hive customers on our website or Facebook page • Chat with our customer support team of experienced beekeepers 02 8880 0774 • Discover more at honeyflow.com.au and facebook.com/flowhive

D&AD IMPACT WHITE PENCIL URBAN LIVING 2016

FAST COMPANY WORLD CHANGING IDEAS AWARD 2017 WINNER CONSUMER PRODUCTS

APIMONDIA SILVER MEDAL WORLD BEEKEEPING AWARDS 2015 & 2017

NSW BUSINESS CHAMBER BUSINESS AWARDS 2017 STATE WINNER

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Getting Rid Of Green Waste – Why It’s So Important

A common misconception regarding green waste is that it does not require nearly as much attention as non-biodegradable waste.

The truth is, if not processed properly, green waste can be as problematic as nonbiodegradable waste. The good news is, when managed correctly, green waste has a wide variety of recycling and reusable options.

So what exactly is green waste?

Green waste is waste that is biodegradable, such as grass trimmings, branches, food scraps, flowers etc. Green waste comprises of almost half of all the garbage produced by Australians making it all the more important that we dispose of it properly.

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Currently, around a third of landfill waste bins in Australia contain recyclables or green waste. Meaning that a lot of biodegradable products that can be recycled or reused are ending up as landfill.

Part of what might be contributing to this is a lack of understanding as to what constitutes green waste is confusion as to what is allowed in the bin. State governments decide recycling legislations in Australia, but when it comes to routine bin collections then this is decided in the majority of cases by local governments with different guidelines depending on different councils. This means that some areas in the country have quite effective and impressive green waste programs, whilst other

suburbs might yet to have even a kerbside green bin. As a result, the most effective way to ensure that your own green waste disposal is optimised is to check with your local council to see what their specific guidelines and policies are.

Where does green waste go when it’s recycled?

This is a great question and one that really differs from area to area. Most people are under the misconception that green waste is processed locally, but a lot of the time, the waste needs to be transported quite long distances in order for it to be recycled which can at times seem counterproductive.

Because recycling rules differ in each region in Australia each area has its own services for processing organic and green waste. The most important thing to remember, is that wherever it is processed, the end result remains the same and that is that all green waste eventually ends up as compost to be used for farms, gardens and parks and not as landfill.

Why is it so important to get on board with green recycling?

The fact is, our landfills are exploding and becoming an increasing problem, not just on a national level, but also on a global level. It is vital that we take recycling seriously and that we focus on optimising the amount of green waste that we can process and re-use effectively whilst also reducing landfill.

16.5 million tonnes of C02e (Carbon Dioxide equivalent) are released each year from food waste and over 5.3 million tonnes of food ends up in landfills each year, which could have been processed and composted.

Depositing green waste correctly and effectively benefits everyone from individual homeowners, councils as well as the greater global environment. Here are a few of the benefits of correctly recycling green waste: Reduce Landfills. This is fairly simple. The more green waste that is correctly recycled will reduce the amount going into landfills.

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Reduce methane levels in the environment.

You might think that it is ok for green waste to end up in landfills because it is biodegradable but what you need to remember is that organic matter that is thrown into landfills instead of being composted correctly will emit a large level of methane as it breaks down. Methane is known to directly contribute to atmospheric damage and global warming so effectively the more green mass that ends up in landfills the greater negative impact we are having on our environment.

Composts supports the ecosystem, reduces the need for pesticides and improves crop quality. Compost made from green waste is an excellent source of nutrients in soil and can help to promote deeper root systems whilst also decreasing the reliance on synthetic fertilisers and pesticides.

Recycling green waste can reduce household expenditure. There is a big movement towards reducing waste and this applies especially to food. Increasingly people are looking a ways or reusing their leftover food and creating new meals, which is a great way to not only limit waste but also cut down on expenses.

It is vital that we all get on board the recycling journey and try and minimize the environmental impact on our planet. Correctly recycling green waste is a highly effective way to elevate pressure on landfills whilst at the same time providing a product that has environment benefits. Because of the differing guidelines between different regions in Australia, all of us need to take an active approach to green waste and get in contact with our local councils to see what they are doing and how we can all do more. The planet will thank us!

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@saturate.studio

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Pottery For The

Planet Renton has always been a potter, learning the craft from his dad as a little guy, and partner Claire was an artist and designer, has worked as an art teacher, barista and a range of other creative things. This is one eco-conscious couple, so a few years ago they came up with an idea, which harnessed all of their skills, to offer an alternative to using paper cups, and Pottery For The Planet was born.

Making limited edition pottery pieces to raise funds for environmental causes and combat the single use plastics issue, Renton and Claire began making beautiful, reusable coffee cups to reduce waste and landfill.

“It’s all about trying to promote people to get a handmade, local and sustainable product that is all to do with reducing waste,” they said.

@saturate.studio

It is estimated Australians waste about 1 billion disposable coffee cups each year.

Every Pottery Planet Cup in use will prevent the wastage of hundreds of throwaway cups annually.

“Our big mission is to change the culture around waste and single-use packaging/items, so it becomes the norm that it’s not ok to go with single use items. In our dream world they won’t even offer single-use coffee cups at cafes.”

@saturate.studio

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Plastic Free Planet chats with Renton and Claire about their passion to make a difference.

packaging. We recycle, only use electricity when necessary (we don’t leave lights on in rooms we’re not in).

Where are you based?

We only buy second-hand items or high quality items that will last for many years. We also use everything we have until it’s on its very last legs, repairing across the years so that we can keep using it for as long as possible. We also grow our own herbs and greens.

Our studio has been in Mt Coolum on the Sunshine Coast since 2015, but we’re just about to move to a brand new studio and warehouse in Noosaville. And, we’re really excited to be expanding into New Zealand soon!

What inspires your designs?

Mainly nature and environment. Our potters all love to experiment with different minerals to create new colours, so we’re all very much in touch with the Earth.

Do you have a favourite?

Oh that’s hard; like choosing a favourite child!

But right now we’d have to say it’s our new Shino-Yaki cup, designed by our amazing potter Stephen Roberts.

Speaking green - aside from disposable cups, what is your biggest environmental concern right now?

The Adani coal mine is a major concern right now, as well as any non-renewable energy sources. We donate 100% of profits from our #stopadani planet cups to the @ stopadanimovement. Plastics in the ocean are also an issue we’re working to combat.

How green are you living? Tell us a little about your efforts to live sustainably and any tips that you have found along the way…

We reduce and reuse as much as possible, both at home and in our businesses. We share resources with other businesses, and at home we don’t buy anything that comes in plastic

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Do you have a final tip to folks trying to be more sustainable?

Avoid bringing anything into the house that will produce more waste (plastics etc). There are many ways you can avoid packaging now, and of course remembering to use baskets and reusable bags when you shop.

Grow your own herbs and veggies (maybe not all of them, but there are a lot that grow really well, even in containers and small spaces we have herbs and veg growing in containers outside our shop, and a little garden outside the pottery studio).

Reduce, reuse, repair, recycle.

It’s time for our disposable culture to change! Handmade from vitrified ceramic and fitted with a 100% silicone lid, these beautiful cups are a sustainable alternative to throw away coffee cups. So, grab a Pottery For The Planet cup, fill it up and become a part of our sustainable coffee culture! potteryfortheplanet.com

@saturate.studio

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Better For The Environment, Better For Us

We all know that the way we live needs to change in order to repair our environment. It’s imperative we curb our reliance on fossil fuels by developing green technology and that we create eco-friendly solutions as an alternative to items which are currently damaging the flora and fauna on our planet.

Get inspired by these exciting new eco-friendly products which put our planet first.

If we want to live in an eco-friendly future, we need to be mindful of every purchase. Made from sustainable materials, that don’t have a negative impact on the environment, there are now plenty of cool new eco-friendly products out there which are helping us go green and think green. Check out these clever ideas:

Lamps to grow plants in windowless spaces If you live or work in a windowless space, these green friends will keep you company and help to purify your air. Nui Design Studio have designed amazing lamps which are a completely self-sustaining ecosystem, where the plants can grow undisturbed for years.

Taking the lamp idea to another level, Kristýna Pojerová created the Glasshouse Lamp; a hanging light that allows us to grow fresh

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herbs in a city kitchen. Herbs can be planted inside the lamp along it’s outside wall in the “gutter” around a central opening. The opening gives access to pick the herbs and gives a passage of light from a bulb hanging up in the lamp. It also allows ventilation, enhancing natural microclimate.

company, Green Toys began making beach toys from plastic that would have ended up in the ocean, collected from coastlines and waterways. It also makes a wide-range of other playthings from 100% recycled plastic mainly milk containers.

These ideas make use of the otherwise useless waste heat of the bulb.

Biodegradable Bodies An amazing green design, called Capsula Mundi, is providing an eco-friendly alternative to being buried in a coffin. Their design involves placing the deceased in a biodegradable pod, with a tree planted above.

Over time, the body degrades and so provides nutrients for the tree to grow. This proposes a beautiful future ideology; Instead of visiting tombstones in graveyards to remember the dead, we visit forests, which, of course, we need more of.

Recycled shoes Single-use plastic water bottles have become an environmental plague. Shoe company Rothy’s transforms them into flats, loafers and sneakers, with styles geared for women and kids. While plastic water bottles aren’t usually the most colorful items, Rothy’s come in all sorts of bright looks with animal-print designs and even flames for the kids. The shoe maker says it’s repurposed over 27 million plastic bottles that were originally destined for landfills.

Recycled plastic toys It’s reported that 8 million metric tons of plastic enter the ocean from the land in a year, and by the year 2050, it’s estimated that plastic in the oceans will outweigh the fish. There are plenty of eco-friendly kids toys available to choose from now. Enviro toy w w w. p l a s ti cfr e ep l a n e tma g a z i n e.c om

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Solar backpacks There are a lot of solar backpacks out there, but Birksun and Unplug Solar Backpacks have some of the best-looking. With simple colours, clean lines, and an unobtrusive solar panel, the boost will help you charge your devices on the go without carrying around a giant panel on your back. Never again will your phone or tablet battery run down while you’re travelling if you pick up a solar backpack. As long as there’s some sunlight, it will generate enough power to keep you connected.

Just because you’re not a backpacker, you don’t have to miss out on solar technology thanks to doctoral student Joe Hynek from The State University of Iowa’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. The outside of his Power Purse is covered with enough solar panels to charge smartphones, mp3 players and other small devices with just 3 hours of exposure to the sun.

Organic Transit ELF Called a velomobile by some and a “big white egg” by others, the ELF is one of the most daringly weird offerings out there. Essentially,

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a cross between a stripped-down electric car and a bicycle, this three-wheeled vehicle boasts a 100-Watt solar panel on its roof, an aluminum alloy frame, headlights, taillights, brake lights, turn signals, and a gasoline equivalent of 1,800 miles per gallon. Its electric speed is about 20 miles per hour, and it can go over 15 miles on a charge, which can be achieved either by plugging it in or putting its solar panels to work — and even if its power is completely drained, you can always pedal it.

Solar powered lawn mowers Tired of pushing around your mower? Rather spend your weekends lazing around instead of behind a noisy, smelly machine under the blazing summer sun? Husqvarana may have the answer for you – but it’s not cheap.

The emissions-free Husqvarna Automower Solar Hybrid is the world’s first fully robotic lawn mower that is partly powered by the sun.

In addition to a charging station for mains powered recharging, the Automower Solar Hybrid has a large integrated solar panel.

When there is sunlight available, the solar cells enable the mower to extend its cutting periods before it needs recharging.

A straw which turns dirty water into drinking water Although this isn’t one to go and use yourself, this fantastic invention helps tackles one of our biggest global issues, without relying on infrastructure and fossil fuels. The LifeStraw uses a hollow fibre membrane that doesn’t require chemicals such as chlorine or iodine.

Using high pressure upon sucking through the straw, the water is forced through the narrow fibres, trapping bacteria, protozoa and other contaminants, which are then flushed out by backwashing.

Biodegradable Grocery Bags We have all seen how the removal of single use plastic bags from supermarkets has often turned into a multi-use plastic disaster, where the bags are now made from polyester, nylon or vinyl - all plastics but they are advertised as ‘Eco Friendly’ as they are reusable! Well Healthy Planet Now was frustrated by the problem too and came up with a solution.

Their Byron Eco Bags are made from 50% silk, which is very strong, compact and 50% cotton to minimize cost, being 100% biodegradable.

Their bags, which are the same size as the old single use plastic bags, hold up to 10kg - if you want that much weight in one grocery bag - but expand to hold a lot more than the old bags.

The straws remove an astonishing 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria (including E.coli), 99.9% of protozoan parasites, and other health issues such as Hepatitis E, Typhoid Fever and Dysentery. Turbidity (muddiness) is also reduced down to 0.2 microns3. Woah! What a game-changer for those living in poverty, or people traveling in areas where the water supply is polluted.

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Help Make Your Community Plastic Free As awareness and education around reducing plastic use improves, many of us are taking valuable steps in our own homes to cut back on the waste our families create. We take reusable shopping bags, store food in reusable containers, boycott purchasing overpackaged products and practice making bin liners with newspaper. However, when we go out, it can be more difficult to forego the usual plastic paraphernalia. Plastic cutlery and food containers, disposable cups, plastic bags and plastic straws are amongst the biggest offenders - we have all been guilty of accepting these from time to time.

Where many businesses would like to make impactful changes, unfortunately for many, time, money and resources prevent much tangible action. That’s where an incredible new initiative comes into play – Plastic Free Places, run by The Boomerang Alliance in partnership with the Australian Packaging Covenant.

Beginning with a hugely successful pilot program in Noosa, Plastic Free Places now includes Byron and Perth, with more councils and governments eager to get on board. The program is unique in that it works directly with local businesses, events and markets to remove single-use plastic altogether, therefore making earth-friendly choices much easier for both project members and the community they serve.

Kellie Lindsay is the Program Manager for Plastic Free Places and has been instrumental in getting the project off the ground from the very beginning. Kellie had been working with the Boomerang Alliance on the container refund scheme and bag ban in Queensland, before becoming involved in the Noosa Project. She now oversees the three current projects and works with other councils and governments across the country to promote and eventually implement the program into other communities.

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“From doing the Noosa project, we soon realised that working with businesses, suppliers and the packaging industry to bring the project to reality was really complicated and difficult for a community to achieve without a managed program and dedicated staff,” Kellie explained.

“We presented our model at the ‘Beyond Plastic Pollution’ conference in 2017, and Byron Shire Council asked us if we could also run a project there for them. And from all of that we decided to create ‘Plastic Free Places’ - a comprehensive program that can be implemented by us in any community, in partnership with council and the community itself.”

Plastic Free Noosa now has around 180 events and local businesses signed up as members. Members who have eliminated six identified single-use plastic items (water bottles, straws, coffee cups/lids, takeaway containers, foodware (cutlery, plates, cups etc) and plastic bags - chosen because they are

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problematic and prolific in the litter stream become known as ‘Plastic Free Champions’.

Approximately a third of food retail members have achieved Champion status. Between February 2018 and June 2019, Plastic Free Noosa estimated that a staggering three million plastic items had already been removed from Plastic Free Champion cafes and restaurants. The annual Noosa Tri last year replaced 180,000 plastic cups with compostable ones, and arranged for them to be composted, and last year’s Noosa Food & Wine Festival saw 5.3 tonnes of food and packaging sent for composting rather than landfill.

Making these switches easy is the driving force behind Plastic Free Places, as Kellie says many business owners do want to implement changes, but barriers to transition such as not knowing where to start, product greenwashing, time constraints, lack of knowledge about product choices and financial cost often prevent this.

“Having us be able to go into the business, look at the products they’re using, find alternatives and solutions that work for them, identify where they can get them and how to reduce costs is valuable as it allows them to make the changes without the process taking up too much time or being overwhelming,” Kellie said. “Behind the scenes, we spend a lot of our time keeping up with the packaging industry and working with suppliers and manufacturers to make this straight forward for our members.”

“Many cafes become advocates for the program and encourage other businesses to get on board as well, so it’s generally very positive,” she said.

From a consumer perspective, having local businesses offering plastic-free alternatives allows each of us to continue making a difference, even when we are outside our homes. Changing habits can be difficult, but having local businesses on board helps provide additional solutions to everyday plastic-free living, as well as opens up dialogue within the community regarding environmental issues. It also helps keep momentum for those who struggle with consistency.

“I think most people are now aware of the problem, but changing habits is hard. I think many people appreciate having plastic free options when they go out to dine and that’s an easy way for people to make a difference,” Kellie said.

As a consumer, Kellie urges everyone to support businesses that are taking steps to reduce plastic use. By putting our money where our mouth is, we can all encourage greater action within our community.

“The best thing to do is to support businesses who are making changes and reducing plastic.

Choose to spend your money there and tell them you appreciate what they’re doing, and recommend them to others. Bring your own coffee cups, water bottles, straws, containers, bags etc and refuse single-use plastic. Spread the word, go on social media and participate in conversations in the community about reducing plastic,” she said.

“Without the community wanting change, the cafes have less motivation. Remember, it’s much easier for a cafe to keep using plastic, they must want to change, and they listen to their customers!”

Any community in Australia can become a Plastic Free Place – head to the Plastic Free Places website to find out how. plasticfreeplaces.org

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THE REAL COST OF GOING

GREEN

When we go to the shops to buy some shampoo or cleaning supplies for our home, the environment may not exactly be the first thing on our minds as we consider which product to buy. Some of us are still making the switch to choosing eco-friendly products as opposed to others and we may not be living as green as we could be. This may be because of the restraints of time, budget or a touch of skepticism.

Using eco-friendly products helps to reduce pollution and contamination of the air, water, soil, and much more, as well as being better for us. So, how can switching to eco-friendly products be beneficial for you?

It’s good for your pocket While eco-friendly products may be a little more expensive in comparison to the name brand products we are used to, they can actually be money-saving in the long run.

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are produced from recycled materials, which are more durable and better quality.

Big companies are realising where consumers and customers’ priorities are and these prices are falling. For example, swapping to a green energy company doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune on your bills like you once had to.

By purchasing eco-friendly products, you are telling the manufacturer ‘this is what I want to purchase, make more of it,’ which over time will lead to more green products being produced and less toxic ones.

The bottom line is, if you leave it up to someone else to purchase eco-friendly products, they will stay at the same heightened price and toxic products will continue to rule the shelves of all the big box department stores.

It’s better for your health Not only are these products healthier for the environment, but they can also be healthier for you! A lot of products contain harmful chemicals that put us at risk of developing illnesses and diseases. Eco-friendly products eliminate all of these risks by using natural products and avoiding additives we are unaware of.

Organic food is better for your body. In a study done on the difference between conventional food and organic food at Washington State University’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, important antioxidant compounds in fruits and vegetables, organic fruits and vegetables were found to deliver between 20 and 40 percent higher antioxidant activity. There was much less pesticide residue on organic foods, as you would expect.

Healthier options aren’t just about foods, they include cleaning products, beauty products, mattresses and pillows. Almost everything has a greener version available these days.

Consider that everything you eat, drink, touch, breathe in and come into contact with can be toxic for you and the planet. Chemicals and pesticides are found in almost everything.

It’s better for our planet Being green is also morally beneficial.

According to the 2018 New Climate Economy Report, extreme damages from future climate change are being locked in. If humanity isn’t on a sustainable trajectory by 2030, limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius — the common international target — will be rendered impossible. The time to live green in now.

Plastics are the go-to item used in most packaging, which are extremely damaging to the environment. Eco-friendly manufacturers make products using packaging from recycled materials that can easily decompose.

The air we breathe and the land we live on is deeply harmed by pollution and toxins; the companies that manufacture eco-friendly products steer clear of these things by using things like solar power to run their plants.

Tips to be greener now • Buying used not new – whether this is clothes from a thrift store or items off Gumtree, this reduces what needs to go to landfill and will save you money.

• Washing clothes on a cold setting (where appropriate). A vast amount of the energy needed to run your washing machine is used to heat the water – therefore, cooler water means lower energy usage!

• Having a compost bin can save you the cost of buying expensive compost for your plants, but it will also greatly reduce your waste.

• Always use a reusable drink bottle.

• Take your (or pack your kids) lunch in reusable containers rather than using single use tubs or cling film.

• Say no to plastic bags – take your own bags when you go shopping, and choose loose fruit and veggies so there is no packaging on it at all.

• Refuse straws, single use cutlery and carry a keep cup for coffee. Australians use 1.8 billion disposable coffee cups every year.

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• Don’t use a different cleaner for every room and purpose. A couple of natural products can clean most things.

• Save the glass jars you already have in your fridge for separating bulk foods - big pickle and mayonnaise jars are perfect.

• Going vegetarian/vegan (or just a few days a week of vegetarian) not only cuts food shop costs down, but greatly helps our planet. The environmental effects associated with meat production are pollution through fossil fuel usage, animal methane, effluent waste, and water and land consumption.

In a nutshell, going green is not just going to help you save you money in the long run, it is better for your health, better for your conscience and better for the planet. It’s time to jump in with both feet!

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