Sustainable solutions for Food Based businesses
Issue
Food scraps going into landfill
Solutions
Join the City to Farm project for food scrap diversion (details from HCZW).
Compost food scraps and coffee grounds with City to Farm or feed to animals.
Sell end-of-day food on the Foodprint app, or give to local food pantries or organisations.
Issue
Printing customer receipts every time.
Solutions
Only print customer receipts when requested.
Issue
Single use and costly items (eg paper towels) used in bathrooms
Expensive products containing harsh chemicals for cleaning, in single use containers
Solutions
Add enviro friendly cleaning powders to water in refillable containers.
Source kitchen and bathroom products from an environmentally friendly service (HCZW can provide local options).
Don’t run the tap continuously when washing or cleaning.
Links
Use You Own - Where to find cafe’s & eateries that encourage UYO/BYO to reduce single use food and coffee waste and/or are single use waste free
Refill NZ - Where you can get your water bottle refilled for free - https://refillnz.org.nz/
Food Print - App where end of day food is listed and sold at cost price to connect consumers with affordable food that would otherwise be wasted or unfit to sell - https://www.foodprint.org.nz/
Food Scraps & Food Resource
Compost Hubs - Compost Collective Sharewaste Hubs - https://www.sharewaste.org.nz/share-waste
City to Farm - North Auckland Medium scale compost project that returns bokashi food scraps to the land to build soil and grow food - https://www.citytofarm.co.nz/
Food Rescue & Supply
Aotearoa NZ Map of: Food Banks, Pataki Kai, Community Meals, Fruit & Vege Co-op, Food Rescue, Community Garden, NZFN Food Hub: Partner organisations who are NZFN food storage & distribution centres - https://www.zerohunger.org.nz/find-a-community-food-organisation
Fair Food - food rescue organisation suppling frontline community groups with free food - https://fairfood.org.nz/
Selling and distributing gleaned produce and retailer-rejected food - https://www.perfectlyimperfect.org.nz/
Food Together - Nation-wide network connecting communities and growers around healthy food, creating jobs and equipping and empowering local collectives, to make fresh food more affordable and accessible for all while resourcing communities - https://www.foodtogether.co.nz/
Fruit & vege box subscriptions of retailer & supermarket rejected food from farmers - https://wonkybox.nz/
Love Soup - North Auckland Organisation providing cooked food and redistributing good food that would otherwise go to waste, to communities in need - https://www.lovesoup.org.nz/contact
Kai Ika - Retailer discarded fish parts are collected from various sources and redistributed to needy families and community groups all over Auckland - https://kaiika.co.nz/
General Sustainability
Sustainable Business Network Free Self Assessment Tool - https://sustainable.org.nz/docket/sustainability-self-assessment/
Carbon Assessments and offsetting
Carbon footprint assessment tool for businesses & offsetting options - https://carbonclick.com/business/
Carbon footprint assessment tool for businesses & offsetting options - https://www.toitu.co.nz/what-we-offer/carbon-management
Responsible Banking & Investing
Mindful Money is a charity that promotes ethical investment via their tool that checks what funds and types of investments Kiwisavers and investment funds are putting money in to - https://mindfulmoney.nz/
Clean Power
Canstar Blue - A summary of power companies and if they use renewable sources - https://www.canstarblue.co.nz/energy/green-power-nz/
NZ Compare - a guide to renewable power companies in New Zealand - https://www.nzcompare.com/n/power/the-future-of-renewable-energy-nz
Light Force - Solar providers, modular and hybrid grid systems available - https://lightforce.co.nz/
B-Corp Certification -B Corp Certification is a designation that a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials - https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/certification/
Single Use Cup alternatives
Under discussion in 2024 Keep in on the Coast cup
https://cupcycling.nz/ Simple, NZ Based, Coffee cups, app
https://www.againagain.co/ - Cup and container return system, also uses an app
https://www.uyo.co.nz/advice/category/4/Starting-Your-Mug-Library - Mug Libraries
Education and information on HCZW carton collections/drop off to go to “better” recycling options
https://hibiscuscoastzerowaste.co.nz/wcrc - Whangaparāoa Community Resource Recovery Centre
Locations to drop soft plastics
https://hibiscuscoastzerowaste.co.nz/wcrc - Whangaparāoa Community Resource Recovery Centre
https://www.recycling.kiwi.nz/store-locator
Suggestions on refill options for products, eg Bin Inn, HCZW - Gilmours truck greater carbon footprint just driving around counter acts any positive refill benefits unless tied in also perhaps with supply deliveries?
https://www.bininn.co.nz/bin-inn-silverdale - Local Store
https://www.refill-van.com/ - The Refill Van - Mobil service
https://hibiscuscoastzerowaste.co.nz/eco-shop - Eco Store Refillry WCRC
Hospitality: Considercounter stand encouraging use of oat milk, brief benefits etc?
https://all-good.co.nz/blogs/news/all-good-fridays - FREE coffees on Fridays for people if they try their oat milk, Drifter Coffee does this
Issue
Packaging and waste/single use serve-ware
Takeaway cups/compostable serve-ware
Solutions
Have Keep Cups available for sale
Offer Keep Cup or bring your own container opportunities, perhaps with a deal to benefit both you and your customers
Offer free water
Use sugar bowls and salt/pepper shakers, not sachets
Issue
Issue
Overuse of transport
Solutions
Encourage and model staff car pooling, use of public transport or biking/walking to work
Join a share scheme around pick up/drop off of certain products (eg scrap metal, items to the WCRC facility) to save time, money and petrol
Issue
Costly and wasteful lighting and energy use
Heat pumps and air conditioning
Solutions
Ensure equipment is eco efficient (eg fridge)
Put your ventilation on a timer to go off at night
Change light bulbs to LED - also saves power costs
In warmer seasons open the doors instead of using the air conditioner
Issue
Recycling and bins not being used correctly
Solutions
Train staff in sustainable practices
Put reminder stickers/signs on bins for staff awareness and action
Separate soft plastics