Local businesses in Albert-Eden are taking steps to become more environmentally sustainable. Several are being supported through the Albert-Eden Sustainable Business Programme, which is sponsored by Albert-Eden Local Board and delivered by Carolyn Cox of Green Business HQ.
“There is increasing interest from businesses in adopting sustainable practices, but many need a little support to get underway. We’re pleased to help,” says Peter Haynes, Chair of the Albert-Eden Local Board.
Here’re how businesses are becoming environmentally sustainable.
Hamish Stewart Catering go from compost to platter
For Karen Ward and Hamish Stewart of Hamish Stewart Catering, providing sustainable catering to Aucklanders has been a long-term passion.
“The programme was a great opportunity to think about what we could do next,” says Karen.
With a composting system in place at the business, plans to grow some of their own produce and running an electric car, the Stewarts were already working to reduce their carbon footprint.
Through the programme, the Stewarts are focusing on working with suppliers to reduce packaging. A flotilla of energy-hungry fridges and freezers have been replaced with a higher-capacity chiller and freezer for more efficient food storage, increased bulk buying, and larger batch preparation.
Sustainability highlights
- 100 per cent organic waste composted
- Over 77 per cent waste diverted
- Conversion to fully electric fleet planned by 2021
- Menu review to increase proportion of locally produced and plant-based foods
- Circular food production planned from compost to platter.
Kings Plant Barn St Lukes make small but smart moves
A beach walk at Great Barrier prompted Simon Andrews, St Lukes Kings Plant Barn general manager into action. “The sheer amount of rubbish on the beach and the story about people picking up the tonnes of rubbish on the beaches around Auckland really motivated me to try to be better at what we do at Plant Barn.”
He started with little things like recycling all the paper till receipts, all plastic films and cardboard and taking the worm bins seriously. The stores have stopped using plastic bags too and will introduce an internal garden waste compost collection to reduce landfill waste.
Sustainability highlights
- More than 150,000 plastic bags eliminated a year
- A 27 per cent reduction in waste to landfill in 2019
- Aiming for 100 per cent organic waste composted by 2020
- 100 tonnes of carbon saved each year by composting all garden waste
- Plan Bee programme promoting bee-friendly plants.
Rockys Restaurant & Cafe commits to making a difference
The desire to be more environmentally friendly spurred Rocky and Jeeva, owners of Rockys Restaurant and Cafe in Mt Albert, to sign up.
“We really want to be environmentally friendly and do something to give back to the community,” says Rocky. “We don’t want to be just another business destroying the environment.”
Since joining the programme, the business has embraced significant changes such as banishing plastic and making compostable paper straws available on request. Customers are encouraged to bring their own cup or to dispose the compostable coffee cups on offer into any commercial compost collection service.
Sustainability highlights
- 672 litres of vegetable scraps, food waste, tissues and coffee filters diverted from landfill for composting each year
- 390 fewer plastic straws to landfill each year
- Aiming for 1300 fewer coffee cups to landfill each year
- More locally grown tomatoes and herbs served with zero food miles.
Find out how green your business is at www.greenbusinesshq.com/green
