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Spot the difference

Autumn’s Lesson

Compostable Australia

The trees are about to show us how to let things go

-Anonymous 

I walked past this quote at the beginning of Autumn. It’s really stuck in my mind.

What a precious thing that nature shows us such splendour in the seasonal cycle.

New growth, spectacular displays, and then there is something so beautiful as the leaves change colour and drop.

Beauty in letting things go.

It’s an important thing to pause and consider. Our modern world bombards us with notions of what we should want, what we need. When in truth, letting things go can be more powerful.

Isn’t it ironic that so man people are finding more connections by letting go of social media. Or that studies show people find happiness in decluttering to live a simpler life without all the stuff we ‘need’.

Perhaps Autumn is inspiring a movement.

So, what could you let go of?

It’s halfway through Autumn, and I have a few things on my list. Kitchen clutter (I thought it was easiest to start there), social media, alcohol during weekdays, apologising for rushing when I’m living the amazing, crazy life that we have chosen…

Spot the difference

One thing that doesn’t change is our team’s commitment to providing sustainable, high quality products. There are so many confusing alternatives on the market now, with large multinationals diversifying their ranges. Many look sustainable, or make various claims. Many combine plastics with organic matter, making them non-compostable (whilst creating micro-plastics) and non-recyclable. Some claim to be made of coastal-bound plastic, which may mean it is simply processed in a factory miles from the coast. It’s a missed opportunity that we don’t have stronger consumer laws to assist families when they try to purchase sustainably.

Australian Certified Compostable Logo

However in the interim, if you are purchasing a compostable bag, make sure you look for the compostable logos, so you can be confident the product you have chosen is a genuine plant based material and can be composted without contaminating the FOGO compost bound for our community spaces. Compost-A-Pak is proudly made predominantly from third grade corn, a non-eating grade, which is otherwise a waste product, and we are very proudly Australian Certified compostable.

Recycled Kitchen Caddy

If you are purchasing a Kitchen Caddy, check on the origins of the plastic. Our Compost-A-Pak Caddy is made of almost 100% Post-Consumer recycled content. It’s basically items such as takeaway food containers which have been used by Melbourne families, placed into their yellow recycling bins, and then given another life. The manufacturing magic happens with the support of another Australian family business, who used to make car parts before the local car industry closed.

 

Thank you to all our amazing customers who consistently choose to purchase our sustainable products, tell their friends and provide feedback about our quality. Working with our amazing team on something we all believe so passionately in, is something I wouldn’t let go of.

 

Mel

Council bags

Our Kitchen Caddy is now made of Recycled Bottles and Food packaging

Placing items such as milk bottles and food packaging into the recycling bin is something nearly all households now do in Australia, however I wonder how many people consider where their items will go next…

It is an important question, and one that our team, and family, are passionate about. The idea of treating our ‘waste’ as a ‘resource’ seems quite logical, particularly when you consider the impact sourcing virgin materials has on our environment. Purchasing mindfully, reusing and recycling is critical.

After significant investment, trials (and errors) and hours of research, we are really excited to announce that we are now contributing towards Australia’s Circular Economy, by making our Kitchen Caddies from our old milk bottles and food packaging.

Our new caddy is now made in Melbourne from 100% Post-Consumer Recycled content.

We have always used a proportion of recycled material, however like many businesses, the material often came from commercial sources and was mixed with virgin material. The traditional thinking was that this mix was required to ensure quality.

With deliberate sourcing through council MRFs (Material Recovery Facilities), we are now diverting items such as milk bottles and food packaging which are collected in roadside yellow bins in Melbourne, processing the material, and then using this material to manufacture new Kitchen Caddies. Saved from an endless life in Landfill, these products now have a second life helping people divert their food waste to compost, as FOGO (Food Organics + Garden Organics) rolls out across Australia.

After thousands of production runs for council FOGO programs, we are excited to say that the quality of our products is as fabulous as usual, and the only disadvantage is that depending on the batch, we can’t always achieve the bright white finish. With a gorgeous new Woodland Grey Caddy now available that hardly seems a concern. Let’s hope more businesses make the switch to Post Consumer recycled content, allowing Australia’s circular economy to continue to expand.

You can purchase the new Woodland Grey Compost-A-Pak Caddy on this link.