TGL News: Zero-waste milk and zero-paper notebooks

ALTERNATIVES | “It’s a good feeling when you know you’ve cracked a waste problem. It’s an even better feeling when you know you’ve cracked a waste problem that could have bold ramifications for the hospitality industry.”

Our GreenLister Dan The Man has found a waste-free way to order milk for its catering recipes.

The solution itself dates back to the 1850s, but in today’s single use society, you’d be forgiven for considering it an innovation. It’s called a “milk churn”, and it’s essentially a device for making butter that doubles as a large vessel for storing milk.

There aren’t many milk churn suppliers in New South Wales, so to meet the minimum order size, the sustainable catering company teamed up with local eco-friendly cafe cum bakery, Iggy’s Bread.

Dan the Man now receives all of its milk via the zero-waste milk churn, and it’s hoping to inspire other cafes in the Waverley area to do the same.

“We’re dreaming big – imagine we’re the council with the most cafes ditching plastic from milk entirely.”

AWARDS | GreenLister dsquared Consulting received the title of Carbon Neutral Adelaide Ambassador at the Carbon Neutral Adelaide Awards last week. The company was recognised as the smallest in Australia to achieve certified carbon neutrality.

• Read our Quick Chat with director Paul Davy for his insights into South Australia’s sustainability market.

GreenLister Cooperative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living has been nominated as a finalist in the 2019 Banksia Sustainability Awards. Recognised in the non-profit/NGO category, the CRCLCL has been praised for its dedicated research and innovation, and for keeping Australia’s sustainability sector globally competitive. Winners will be announced in Sydney next week, on Tuesday, 3 December.

• Check out the CRCLCL’s latest guide to making social housing more efficient and affordable.

VIDEO | GreenLister Planet Ark Power’s solution to the country’s “voltage problem” is so amazing even we are still a little mystified. Luckily the company’s director, Richard Romanowski, took to the stage at the 2019 Start Up Tech Festival and offered this helpful explanation.

• Watch the video here

APP | Grocery chain IGA has teamed up with not-for-profit Food For Change to launch IGA Food Rescue App – a platform that connects food rescue organisations such as community centres and soup vans with local supermarkets in order to reduce food waste and feed vulnerable people.

The program underwent a pilot phase in NSW earlier this year where it reported rescuing 30,000 meals in six months across three supermarkets. At this stage it has more than 100 food rescue organisations on board, including non-for-profits Vinnies and Second Bite.

This number is expected to grow as the program is rolled out across the country in 2020.

ALTERNATIVES | This company has an unusual alternative to the average paper notebook. It’s called Karst, and it’s made from the waste stone produced by the mining and construction industries.

The Sydney-based start-up claims its products are made without water, timber, chlorine, acids or waste, and using only a third of the carbon compared to traditional notebooks.

The process involves crushing the rescued stone into powder, and combining it with “a non-toxic, recyclable binding agent” to make a range of stationary items including notebooks, sketchpads, planners and pencils.