OZ HARVEST: Feeding Adelaide’s Most Vulnerable and Fighting the War on Waste With BioPak and Duncan Welgemoed
At BioPak, we have always been passionate about promoting sustainability and reducing waste in the food service industry. We were thrilled to be a part of Ozharvest’s 'Cooking for Change' event, held in the Adelaide Hills, in collaboration with renowned chef Duncan Welgemoed- the owner of his practically waste-free restaurant, Africola.
The event was a celebration of culinary innovation and environmental consciousness, where we showcased top-notch initiatives driving change in the industry. Our collective aim was to tackle the nation's waste crisis while helping to feed the most vulnerable members of the community.
Watch: OzHarvest's Cooking for a Cause
At Sticky Rice Cooking School in Stirling, OzHarvest's Cooking for a Cause program turned surplus food destined for landfill into delectable restaurant-quality meals.
Chef Duncan Welgemoed from Africola amazed everyone with his sustainable culinary practices, such as using locally sourced, wild, organic, or bio-dynamic produce to minimise waste in his restaurant. Every touchpoint in his kitchen was optimised to reduce environmental impact, from composting food waste to sourcing wood sustainably and limiting plastic usage.
Amelia Filippini from Jeffries, a 4th generation composter, highlighted the benefits of certified compostable packaging, which acts as a conduit for diverting food waste from landfills and towards composting facilities.
Compost Connect: A Game-Changing Initiative
We presented Compost Connect, Australia's pioneering national composting product stewardship scheme, during the event. It aims to reduce the staggering one million tonnes of organic waste generated annually by the foodservice industry.
Compost Connect connects businesses and individuals to composting facilities, allowing them to responsibly dispose of food waste and certified compostable packaging. Over 373 businesses have joined Compost Connect, diverting approximately 3310 tonnes of organic waste and compostable packaging from landfills. This contributed to the creation of 2317 tonnes of compost while avoiding the emission of 1688 tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere.
