Eco Logic

COMMITTED TO TAKING IT EASY ON THE PLANET, ONE BLUE MOUNTAINS RESTAURANT IS LEADING THE WAY WITH ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES THAT TAKE A JOURNEY FROM PADDOCK TO PLATE AND BACK AGAIN.

Words: Lisa Doust. Photos: Leura Garage.

Since the day Leura Garage opened its doors back in 2011, James Howarth has been seeking out ways to ensure his buzzy restaurant is run as sustainably as possible. “We have always waged war against waste and constantly strive to find systems, processes and equipment to reduce our carbon footprint and ensure we are as environmentally friendly as possible,” he explains.

Located in the heart of Leura village, in the Upper Blue Mountains, Leura Garage has multiple eco-friendly initiatives firmly in place. For starters, chefs adhere to a philosophy that focuses on locally grown produce and is consistent with the restaurant’s ‘fun dining concept’. Wherever possible, locally grown, seasonal produce is delivered by nearby growers and the winemakers drop off their small-batch vintages wearing the Akubras that shaded the sun that touched their vines just hours before.

In addition, the roof is covered in solar panels and also harvests rainwater, which is fed through copper piping under the floor and, in turn, heats up the concrete slab and helps to warm the restaurant. The rainwater is then triple filtered and served to customers.

Taking their strong eco stance to the next level, Leura Garage has now invested in ‘CLOey’ – a super composter capable of composting all of the restaurant’s organic waste. “With CLOey we are making dining more sustainable and have moved one step closer to ‘closing the loop’,” says James (pictured left with Federal Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman, and Luca Postiglione, of Lupo Marketing).

Developed and made in Australia by Closed Loop Recycling, a leader in sustainability and landfill diversion, CLOey uses microbial technology to reduce 20 kilograms of food waste by up 90% in 24 hours, creating a nutrientrich end product that can be reused in garden plots and paddocks. At present, only a handful of innovative restaurants across the globe are utilising this innovative technology, including Danish culinary mecca Noma.

There are also financial benefits, with CLOey decreasing disposal costs. Overall, Leura Garage’s sustainable business practices saving the restaurant up to $13,500 in utilities each year. “We save thousands a year on power by using solar on the roof, which feeds back to the grid, and our underfloor pipes help us to save on heating costs. And now CLOey is allowing us to cut our waste-disposal costs,” explains James.

“For most family owned restaurants and businesses, waste management is often someone else’s problem, but we are very focused on sustainability, regionality and community,” says James. “With CLOey taking the driver’s seat on organic-waste management, we hope to set the standard for both Leura village and the whole Blue Mountains region.”

James and the team at Leura Garage are hoping to help inspire other local businesses around sustainability. “We invite anybody who is interested in what we have done at the restaurant to ask us questions,” he adds. “We want to spread the word and help to educate local industry, communities, schools and councils on how we can implement modes of sustainability across the greater Blue Mountains region by working together and using eco innovations such as CLOey.”