PROPAGATE MAG
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Welcome ISSUE ONE: THE PILOT
I hope this issue finds you well, whether it be hunkering down at home under lockdowns or (hopefully!), relaxing on cool sands next to crystal waters. At times like this, when connectivity feels so overwhelming or scarce, tinged with fear and uncertainty, it can feel hard to imagine that your individual actions have any agency or bearing on the workings of the wider world. Despite the constant struggles it has brought, this pandemic shows us just how important our individual actions actually are, with outbreaks caused and avoided by the actions of a single person. If your behaviour can have that much of an effect in negative circumstances, imagine the impact you and your community can have when campaigning for positive change! Due to the inability to meet in person for gatherings we previously took for granted, such as protests, campaign building, fundraising or community activities, coupled with the post-lockdown fatigue we have all been feeling, this issue was made to be a collection of easy, cost-effective tips and tricks and inspiring stories to support you all as we emerge back into the world.
Stay Sustainable!
Anneliese
Contents Earthly Delights
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Hidden Plastics
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Transparency is Key
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Beauty brands with heart
Easy swaps to stop pollution
Conversations with Reground
Bin Night Blues
Recycling tips and tricks
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Food For Thought
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The Feast Remains
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Conversations with Ima Project Cafe
Respecting food scraps
Propagate Mag was founded, photographed, designed, edited and printed on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to their elders, past, present, future and emerging, and acknowledge them as the custodians of this primordial land. 2
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Earthly Delights
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A COLLECTION OF AUSTRALIAN BRANDS WITH THE AIM OF SUPPORTING, NOURISHING AND RESPECTING BOTH YOU AND OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
BIG BLUE COSMETICA With an emphasis on Australian ingredients, brand transparency and sustainable practices, founder, Tina, has used her background in chemistry and design to create a range of natural body, face and hair products that are as good for our skin as they are for the planet. Conscious of the entire life cycle of each item, Big Blue Cosmetica will also refill your previous purchases at a discounted rate. Tinted Lip Balms- $12 each bigbluecosmetica.bigcartel.com
THE WANDERING CRAFTSMEN Hailing from the tranquil surrounds of Byron Bay, founders Kaitlyn and Lyla create hand-poured soy wax candles in a 1960s caravan amongst the trees. Each candle is created using recycled glass bottles, high quality fragrances and lead-free wicks with minimal environmental impact, so you can breathe easy while enjoying their calm, soothing scents. Into The Woods Candle - $49 thewanderingcraftsmen.com.au
LUNA MINERALS Much like its planetary namesake, Luna Minerals aims to enchant and empower the wearer through their vegan-friendly, naturally derived mineral cosmetic range. Made from high quality Australian ingredients and housed in reusable and recyclable packaging, they make every trip around the sun ethical, sustainable and sparkly. Mineral Eye Shadow 1.2g - $12 each lunaminerals.com
KESTER BLACK Certified as Australia’s first B-Corp beuaty label, Kester Black was created by founder, Anna Ross, with sustainability at the forefront of the brand. While their bold, shimmering lipstick and nail polish shades may resemble a chic version of Eurovision colour palettes, their 2% donation of all revenue to social causes and carbon-neutral accreditation show that you can jazz up your look while still helping people and the planet. 14ml Nail Polish Bottle - $26 kesterblack.com
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Hidden Plastic THREE SIMPLE SWAPS TO REDUCE YOUR OWN PLASTIC CONSUMPTION
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In 2019, it was discovered in a University of Newcastle report that people globally consume around five grams of microplastics a week, the equivalent of a credit card. This revealed that not only was our overuse and consumption of plastics devastating our environment, but could also be detrimental to our own health and wellbeing. Following this, we researched items you may never have considered to contain plastics, but actually do, and eco-friendly local alternatives to start embracing.
CHEWING GUM Did you know that most chewing gums actually contain plastic? When gum was first commercially produced in the 1860s, it was made from natural tree saps, similar to those used by the Aztecs, Myans and Ancient Greeks. However, by the 1960s, companies began replacing these natural elements with synthetic rubbers and glues made from plastic, which has continued to this day. While on holidays in South America, Swell Gum founders, Alec and Nicki, uncovered this fact. Being in the ancient home of gum, they discovered a natural alternative used in earlier forms of the product, chicle tree sap. Upon their return to Australia, they experimented with different recipes and arrived at the allnatural, plastic-free peppermint gum available today. Being avid beach-goers, they also donate 25% of their profits to ocean conservation charities. So hop online and get chewing! Peppermint Pack (10 Satchels) - $36.95 swell-gum.com
TEA BAGS For centuries, tea has been a universal elixer for remedying colds, connecting with family or relaxing after a long day. But, did you know, that according to research conducted by McGill University in 2019, your daily brew could contain up to 11.6 billion microplastic particles? The humble tea bag was invented in 1903, when an American tea merchant sent his clients samples in linen bags, which they mistook for an alternate strainer and used to brew their tea. Over time, plastics began to replace cloth in their construction and synthetic glues replaced stitches and staples. In response to this, Australian food storage company, The Swag, created a set of unbleached, unseeded cotton tea bags which are compostable at the end of their life span. They also donate a portion of their profits to Destiny Rescue, a child trafficking rescue charity, so you can make a cuppa and a difference! Tea Swag Set (Includes 4) - $16.99 theswag.com.au
BANDAIDS We all assumed that bandaids contained at least some plastic, especially those not made using woven gauze or material. However, sustainable products are few and far between in the medical realm due to the need for single-use items for infection control. But did you know that you can help heal yourself and the earth with your next purchase? Patch founder, James Dutton, created the sustainable range after his son experienced an allergic reaction to standard bandaids. After much experimentation, and a global medical accreditation for the product, the Patch range was released in 2017. Each strip is free of latex, plastic and other harmful chemicals and made with organic bamboo fibre. They are available with different active ingredients, such as aloe vera, activated charcoal and coconut oil, to suit different healing needs. So next time you’re in a scrape, patch it up with these compostible strips! Patch Strip Bandages (25 Pack) - $6.99 patchstrips.com
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TRANSPARENCY IS KEY ninna from waste education and recycling company, reground, talks to us about informed choices, business accountability and community building in the digital age.
While studying at university in Denmark, Reground founder, Ninna Larsen, worked with the Danish Cultural Institute on the ‘Culture Future’ program, which aimed to communicate ideas surrounding sustainability through art. Already concerned with the state of our natural environment, it was here that Ninna was exposed to positive ways of engaging with sustainability, as opposed to the constant nihilism and negativity often expressed in the media. However, she noticed that this microcommunity of Danish environmentalists were relegated to the fringes of public opinion, deemed too ‘hippy’ or ‘weird’ for general discussion. 8
In response to this, after finishing her studies and later migrating to Australia, Ninna founded the waste education and collection service, Reground, in 2014. Initially started in response to witnessing the amount of waste Melbourne’s coffee culture produced, Reground began by collecting used coffee grounds from cafes around the city and suburbs to repurpose as compost, worm farms and a soil health agent for community and private gardens. A year later, they also began collecting chaff, a biproduct produced during the coffee roasting process. While collecting organic waste from different businesses, Reground also conducted waste audits to see what the
main components found in recycling and genereal waste bins were. They discovered that, after organic waste, the biggest component of rubbish going to landfill was soft plastics. In response to this, and wanting to keep this waste onshore, the team discovered two local operations, one in Alphington near the Reground headquarters, and another in Somerton, who were able to transform soft plastic waste into resources used in road construction. The soft plastic bales, pictured above, are melted into a uniform membrane and either turned into small pellets used in road base mixtures, or used in construction for waterproofing purposes.
However, Reground is much more than a waste collection and repurposing service. Through its educational programs with participating councils, businesses, community organisations and individuals, it aims to connect the systems of creation, consumption and regeneration, in order to break the disconnected ‘out of sight, out of mind’ practices that we engage in every single day. At the heart of Reground lies the desire to expose and foster the interconnectedness of all life, from the organic matter we grow, purchase and consume to the people we share it with. There are so many lessons we can learn from nature, both for our daily lives and our economic and social systems. In our conversation, Ninna makes an intriguing link between business and gardening. “If you put a lot of fertiliser on a plant, it’s going to grow fast and then burn out, you’re not going to achieve anything sustainable in that way,” She states, “People do the same with business. They inject a lot of money into business and it will survive for 2,3, maybe 4 years, but after that, it will die out and the business won’t survive...Think about things in a slow way, everything good is slow.”
“Every single time we buy something, it is impacting someone.”
Ninna is also a strong advocate for more transparency from businesses about how and from what their products are produced, how they invest their profits and challenges they are facing, in order for organisations such as Reground to assist in their transitions to more ethical, sustainable components of our society. This will also allow consumers to make more informed decisions and vote with their spending to ensure more adaptable, responsible businesses thrive and survive into the future. She stated, “Every single time we buy something, it is impacting someone.” When asked about the best ways people as individuals can assist in instigating change, Ninna offered these three pieces of advice: 1. spend less money - use what you already have, and if you need to purchase anything, buy something already in existence over brand new; 2 - engage with the supply chain in meaningful ways by supporting companies that share your values; 3 - create less waste - create a compost at home and engage with the waste you are producing. This way, you can also experience the circularity of natural systems, such as using compost to create vegetable gardens, and create opportunities for engagement and collaboration with your household or neighbours. The world is slowly moving in a more sustainable direction, as witnessed by the massive global response to the School Strikes For Climate in 2019 and earlier this year; calls for governments to declare climate emergencies, as well as the emergence of altruistic organisations such as Reground educating and engaging local communities around our cities. Much like Reground’s future plans in creating hyperlocal hubs to promote waste management, we need to take ownership of our own micro-communities by supporting and encouraging those around us to value our intertwined ecosystems and respect them as we do each other.
NINNA STANDING AT THE CONSTRUCTION SITE OF REGROUND’S PUBLIC EDUCATION SPACE IN AUGUST 2019.
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BIN NIGHT BLUES Tips and tricks to make you a recycling whiz
The Australian recycling industry was in disarray long before overseas nations stopped accepting our waste in recent years, with a lack of communication between consumers, businesses, councils and waste management services resulting in load contamination, unprofitability and stockpiling of waste. While the Victorian Government has announced an overhaul of this system to phase in over the next few years, with intitatives such as extra bins and a container deposit scheme, we are currently left with a system in which bin types and waste accepted varies greatly between municipalities. Beyond the general education of placing paper, cardboard, glass and hard plastics in your recycling bin each week, there are many items people are wary of when disposing of household waste, so hopefully this guide will give you some clarity.
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Firstly, let’s start with some definitions: HARD PLASTICS: Hard plastics are items which, when scrunched, return back to their original form. This can include: soft drink and milk bottles, biscuit trays and food containers, as well as bigger items such as small plastic pots (depending on your council). These are all able to be recycled in household bins, just be sure to remove any plastic labels first! SOFT PLASTICS: Soft plastics are flimsier plastics which do not keep their form when scrunched. These include items such as: bread bags, cling wrap, bubble wrap and other packing material, post satchels, chip and chocolate wrappers and drink labels. These are currently not able to be recycled in household bins and, as long as they meet certain specifications, can be dropped off to services such as Reground or in REDcycle bins at partnering supermarkets and retail spaces.
HOME COMPOSTIBLE: These are items which are able to be broken down in a home compost bin with no extra treatment or care. Some, such as Patch Bandaids, are able to be added to regular soil to decompose, but many require a designated compost system to degrade properly. INDUSTRIAL COMPOSTIBLE: These items are biodegradable, but can only be properly broken down when sent to a commercial composting or organics recycling facility, such as through workplace soft plastics initiatives. Many biodegradable and compostible products are not able to be recycled by soft plastics services such as REDcycle, as they degrade too much during the remanufacturing process. So save up your biodegradable items until you have access to a suitable composting method.
Now, let’s cover the recyclability of easily confused items. TAKE-AWAY COFFEE CUPS: Unless designated bins are available, such as those found in 7/11 stores, with the exception of a few councils, such as Moonee Valley in Melbourne’s North-West for lids or Wyndham, Ballarat, Cardinia, Bendigo, Nillumbik Shire and Warnambool, which accept Biopak recyclable cups, they cannot be placed in normal curbside bins. ALUMINIUM FOIL: Aluminium foil can be placed in household recycling bins as long as it is dry, reasonably clean and scrunched into a ball larger than the size of a golf ball, to ensure it does not fall through machinery when processed. Similarly, aluminium baking trays can also be recycled after rinsing and drying. If you have many small pieces, such as those from Easter eggs, roll them together to create a larger sphere.
BOTTLE CAPS: Depending on the material makeup of the bottle top, some can and others cannot be recycled at home. Metal caps can be recycled by most councils, whereas, plastic bottle caps cannot be recycled due to their small size and light weight, which means they can easily clog up or fall through plastic recycling machinery.
similar, cannot be recycled at home. These require specialised processing offered by companies such as TerraCycle, who partner with brands and waste management plants to facilitate both free and purchaseable services to collect and transform products such as cosmetic packaging, bread tags, coffee pods, pens, art supplies and sports balls.
However, these can be used to create park benches, children’s furniture, bricks for community gardens and equipment for schools and kindergartens by Envision, a rotary group committed to reducing waste and creating local jobs. Unfortunately, they are currently not collecting bottle caps as a result of closures due to COVID-19, but collect your caps in a jar in anticipation for the future!
To see all available TerraCycle programs, head to: terracycle.com/en-AU
COSMETIC PACKAGING: Most cosmetic packaging such as sunscreen and skincare bottles, as well as lipstick containers and
For more information about Reground’s soft plastics and coffee ground initiative, visit: reground.com.au
For more information regarding your local council’s regulations around recycling check out: recycling.vic.gov.au To obtain a full list of RedCycle’s accepted products and drop-off locations, go to: redcycle.net.au
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
ako from sustainable carlton eatery, ima project cafe, talks to us about circular menus, ‘ugly’ fruits and vegetables and a need for government and civilian action against waste.
Ima Project Cafe was a long-term dream for Ako and her partner, James, who were both passionate about food service, but were hesitant to open a business which produced excessive amounts of waste and did not factor in sustainable practices.
able to be reused as part of other offerings. Vegetable offcuts and ends from cooked dishes are used to make nutritious juices and broccoli and cauliflower stems are pickled to be used as garnishes for other dishes, as seen in the image above.
In 2018, full of fresh ideas, they opened their cafe in Elgin Street in the innerMelbourne suburb of Carlton. They heavily researched ways in which they could make their business as low-waste as possible through both the everyday running of the cafe and partnerships with environmentally-conscious suppliers and waste management services.
The bonito flakes used in creating their homemade Japanese Dashi fish stock are then strained and dehydrated to create furikake, a dry garnish used to top rice or main dishes and provide added saltiness and flavour.
As part of this, they created a circular menu, whereby offcuts from dishes were 12
They also ensure to source their produce from responsible sources. After much searching, they found a supplier who stocked misshapen and oddly sized fruit and vegetables, which are usually thrown
into landfill due to perceived lack of customer demand in supermarkets. Ako admits it is more expensive than going through conventional fresh produce suppliers, but when adding up the environmental costs associated with this generally discarded produce, there is no other choice. These ‘ugly vegetables’ have even become the mascots of Ima Project Cafe, turned into cute illustrations by Melbourne artist Kat Chadwick, and placed on windows and walls around the space. This minimal waste ideology was even incorporated into the creation of the space. Using her previous background in architecture, Ako designed the space to
best utilise the natural light available by creating an open counter space connected to the kitchen. Offcuts from the building process have also been repurposed as serving trays still used in the cafe. Ako and James have also partnered with other organisations to better divert the minimal amount of waste they still produce. They recycle their oil with Green Life Oil and have partnered with Reground to recycle their coffee grounds and soft plastic waste, as well as assist in educating staff on correct recycling procedures. As part of this collaboration, they undertook a waste awareness program, “Love Food, Hate Waste”. Each day for a week, different types of waste produced, including customer, plate, surplus, spoilage and preparation waste, had to be separated and weighed to give an insight into their makeup and contribution to the total, to see if any other sustainable practices could be implemented. At the completion, Ako and James were pleasantly surprised that their totals were actually quite small, but they still continuously look for ways to improve the environmental impact of their business.
“We need everyone to understand it is possible to minimise waste.”
With rising costs and mounting pressures associated with running a hospitality business in Australia, and Melbourne in particular, Ako acknowledges that being more sustainable does add to ever-increasing costs. She states that the core of their hospitality business will always be providing the highest quality food and service to their customers, but sustainability should always be a core part of any food business. Ako states, “We wanted to touch on [the amount of waste produced] and minimise waste as much as possible so that we can inspire other businesses.” The team at Ima Project Cafe also believe there should be greater governmental support, both at local council and state level, to support businesses in their transition to being more environmentally conscious. Solutions like providing compost bins, establishing more community gardens and overhauling the recycling system to be more streamlined, easily understandable and transparent, would make it easier for both individuals and businesses to engage with waste management and ensure that less waste is diverted to landfill in the long term. On personal changes that everyone can incorporate into their daily lives, Ako recommends ideas such as reusing items we already own as much as possible and being mindful about generating extra waste by using keep cups and reusable produce bags when shopping. She states, “We don’t have to go extreme...We need everyone to understand it is possible to minimise waste.” Ako suggests that through the combination of governmental support, individual and business actions and widespread education, we can enact real change. With Victorians discarding 250,000 tonnes of edible food each year, it is imperative to look carefully at our own consumer choices and vote with our wallets to change our wasteful habits and support businesses like Ima Project Cafe, that are championing our transition to a cleaner, more ethical and sustainable future.
ako enjoying a sunny corner of her light-filled, cosy cafe, surrounded by interesting books, good coffee and green company.
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The Feast Remains
If food waste was a country, it would be the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases on the planet. When organic waste is thrown into landfill, it produces methane gas, which is 21 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, emitted by industry and transport. When you consider the land, water, transport and human labour associated with food production, it becomes obvious that we need to get the most out of the produce we grow and buy. Before designating food scraps to the compost heap, try out some of these food hacks to extend the life of your cooking odds and ends and give food the respect it deserves. For full video guides on following each of these tutorials, visit our website at: propagatemagazine.com
BANANA SKIN STIR FRY
CITRUS ICE CUBES
Instead of sliding across your floor, why not slip a banana peel into your cooking to add extra sweet and sour flavour notes?
Next time you squeeze a lime into a fish curry or zest a lemon into cake batter, save your citrus!
In order to properly prepare the peels, wash them thoroughly in water after removing the insides. Then, place them in a bowl with enough water to cover the skins. At this stage, you can infuse herbs or spices, such as tumeric or cumin, to complement your final dish and then place in the fridge. After at least 30 minutes, but preferably a few hours, remove the bananas from the water. Cut off the top and bottom stalks and julienne the skins into thin sticks. Remove any bruises or very dark scratches or marks. Add to your curry or stir fry and allow them to simmer in water or a sauce for at least 10-15 minutes until they become tender. 16
Place your juiced halves into a deep ice tray, cover with water and place in the freezer. After 24 hours, your citrus ice cubes will be ready! Pop them into iced teas, sweet cocktails or other cool drinks to add an extra zing to your drinks!
VEGETABLE SCRAP STOCK
ORANGE PEEL CANDLES
Next time you make any vegetable heavy dishes, be it soups, roasts or curries, save your scraps to make homemade stocks and broths.
Due to the flammable nature of citrus oil, orange peels can be used either as kindling to help start fires or to make ambient candles.
Although it depends on flavour preferences, the best vegetable scraps to use when making stock are: rich, deep flavours (such as onion and garlic skins and mushroom stems); sweet flavours (such as carrot skins); aromatics, (such as rosemary and thyme); as well as neutrals (such as watercress, celery and parsley).
To create a candle, cut the orange straight across with the navel and stalk parallel to the knife. Then, carefully peel away the inner flesh from the stem, being careful not to break it. Once the orange half is empty, let it sit and dry out for 1-2 days.
When collecting peels, make sure they are washed thoroughly and placed in an airtight container in the freezer, remembering to date your vessel. You require roughly one cup of scraps for every fresh cup of ingredients.
Once dry, half fill the orange segment with olive oil, ensuring you also coat the stem. Then, light with a match or lighter and enjoy! If using the oranges for kindling, break the skin up into mid-sized pieces, like when peeling, and allow to dry out for several days.
For the full guide on making your own stock, visit our website at: propagatemagazine.com 17
ISSUE TWO: THE GREEN RECOVERY how to stay sustainable in the midst of a global pandemic.