Meet the Team: Belinda from Mundaring & Bassendean

Hi, I’m Belinda and I mostly work at the Mundaring store, but you’ll occasionally find me at the Bassendean store. I’ve been here a bit over 3 years now and still loving it – it’s so nice to work for a place with such a good vibe.

I love to cook, and will often take home new or interesting products in the store just to try them out and see what I think. I’m also big on cooking from scratch, stock, bread, tomato paste, I’ll give anything a shot once. I’m also a birdwatcher and come Summer you’ll find me snorkelling at any given opportunity.

I’m a fan of the detergent bar for washing dishes. It lathers so well and smells great, I reckon it does a better cleaning job than the liquid too. My favourite nibble is the apricot logs – they always seem to hit the spot.

I think the biggest key to heading towards zero waste is the mindset – just stopping and thinking where things come from and where they will go to, and knowing that any little thing you do is better than nothing.


Travel Waste Free

These are all my favourite things to pack when I’m travelling đŸŒ´đŸ–ď¸đŸ‘™

  • Insulated water bottle: great for keeping water super cool and hot beverages, well, hot! I find that having this is means I don’t need a separate reusable coffee cup, so I can travel light. If you have more room in your bag then you could easily take both.
  • Cutlery set: I’ve been caught out without it and regretted not having it. Either I end up feeling bad for using plastic single-use cutlery or I don’t get to enjoy my meal fully by eating with my hands. This way I always feel good chowing down.
  • Reusable container: I love having a 2 tier variety since I can separate out meals or tailor to the quantity of leftovers I have better. Plus, I can also use it to store small items in my bag between destinations so they are easy to find on arrival.
  • Handkerchief: Multipurpose goodness! Use it as a tissue, napkin, wet wipe, flannel, sweatband on your wrist, wrap for your sandwich, tie for a water bottle to your belt for hands-free hydration, and more. As they are so lightweight easily handwash in a sink at the end of the day and it will be dry by morning to go again.
  • Shampoo bar, conditioner bar and stain remover bar in a travel tin: Shampoo bars double as body wash, conditioner bars double as body lotion and stain remover bars triple as laundry, dishwashing and handwashing products. The travel tin isn’t airtight which means that my bars can dry out a little even in transit.
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste: Taking my own bamboo toothbrush and refilled toothpaste means that I can give the hotel samples a miss.
  • Refillable deodorant: I love my natural deodorant and my own little sprayer is just the right size. So handy to be able to access liquid or paste varieties at WP now.
  • Lip balm refillable tin: My handy little tin fits plenty of lip saving wonder, this one is tinted to give me a little colour and I know that the ingredients are just right for me.
  • Moisturiser: I want to look after my skin for the happy snaps so refilling my container before I travel is a must.
  • Bamboo comb: It’s lightweight, it does the job and it is a great shape to pack easily into my bag.
  • Plastic-free hair tie: I’d be lost without a hair tie and if I do lose one then I want to be sure that it will biodegrade back into the earth rather than sticking around forever harassing wildlife.
  • Reusable bags: Having a stash of cloth and mesh produce bags plus at least one shopping bag that folds down to practically nothing means that I can avoid ever taking a plastic single-use bag. Cloth produce bags are great for buying bread, rolls and sandwiches. Mesh produce bags are great for fresh fruits and vegetables, bulk foods, as well as keeping your small laundry items together at the end of your trip. Shopping bags also double as a handbag for takeaway meals or laundry bags or any time you want your hands free.

What about you? What is your must-haves for zero waste travelling?


EnsoPet How-To Guide

No need for single-use ‘doggy’ bags when you can install your own EnsoPet pet waste composter and improve your soil too!

Quick overview

Bury the EnsoPet composter in the garden so just the lid is visible and the inside is free of soil. Use the tongs provided to drop your pets waste into the composter then sprinkle over the Ensopet starter bran. The micro-organisms do their magic breading down the waste quickly so that it should take months or years to completely fill (depends on the amount of waste your animals produce). If it does fill, cover over with soil and start again in a new location. Easy and hygienic.

Ensopet bokashi pet waste composting kit is suitable for many pets. For example, dog, cat, rabbit, guinea pig and many more.

The Full Details on How to Use Ensopet Pet Waste Composter

  1. Clip together the four sides to create a cylinder with no bottom.
  2. Dig a hole 40cm wide and 40cm deep away from edible plants.
  3. Place the EnsoPet poo composter in the hole and backfill with soil around the outside.
  4. Use the tongs to drop in your pet waste as needed and lightly sprinkle around 20g of starter bran per 100g waste (this is a rough guide, no need to weigh out your pets waste).
  5. Seal with the lid until you need to add more. Best if you are able to do this in small batches rather than a big load all in one go.
  6. The system needs to be kept moist so if it starts to dry out then add a little water when you are caring for your garden.

The micro-organisms remediate any pathogens in your pet waste as well as improving your soil. If you have large pets or particularly poor soil you may benefit from setting up two systems simultaneously. You can also add dry leaves, fine bark, spent potting mix to your composter if desired.

Now you should have the hang of your Ensopet Pet Waste composter. A similar style of system is available for your food waste too! Check out all the info about Bokashi Bins next!


Cleansing Face Mask

Cleansing face masks are a great way to keep your skin healthy as well as taking some time out of your day for yourself.

Rose face mask recipe:

A tablespoon of White Kaolin clay ( you may need to add a little more or a little less)

A few drops of rose water (DIY by simmering rose petals in water for 20 mins) or plain water

Mix until all clumps are dissolved and it is a paste-like consistency.

Apply to your face with a brush or your hands. Leave on for 15 mins and then rinse off with water.


Wattleseed and macadamia biscuits

Ingredients 
100g butter

2 tbsp golden syrup

4 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp ground wattleseed

1/2 cup of rolled oats

1/3 cup of macadamia nuts, chopped

2 cups of plain flour


Method
⭐️ Preheat oven to 220C

⭐️ Melt butter, golden syrup, sugar and wattled in a saucepan over low heat

⭐️ Mix oats with chopped macadamia nuts and flour in a bowl then add wet ingredients

⭐️ Mix until combined. Add a small amount of water to the mixture so it is still crumbly

⭐️ Roll into small balls and press flat on a baking tray

⭐️ Bake for 10 mins or until lightly golden 


The whole family will love them!


The Humble Bread Roll

Ingredients 
 
10g of yeast 
600g of bread mix  (I have used the mixed grain bm) 
360g of water
 
Method
 
Add all the ingredients in a bread maker or thermomix (select dough and mixed grain options), or mix and kneed by hand.
 
Once the dough is made and rested, roll the dough into the desired sizes and cook for 30 mins at 180 C.
 
Super easy and delicious!
They are also great to make in bulk and freeze.

Rose Petal Bath Salts

Rose petals can be used for so many different things.

You can use them to make rose water, make a romantic bath, you can cook with them, make tea and potpourri mix.

 

You can also make bath salts.

 

Ingredients

1 cup of epsom salts

10-20 drops of essential oil of your choice

1/4 cup pink lake salt

1/2 cup of rose petals 

 

Method

In a glass bowl mix epsom salt and essential oil.

Stir until there are no clumps and the oil has been absorbed.

Stir in the pink lake salt and rose petals.

Keep in an air tight jar. 


Meet the Team: Mel from Mundaring

We love being involved in our local communities and creating our own WP family, so we thought it was time we properly introduced the WP team members!

Hi, my name is Mel. I’ve been a part of the Wasteless Pantry team for about 2 years and I love everything about the job including the customers, the people I work with, the location, and of course, the shop itself.

Outside of this job I keep myself busy. If I’m not at my other job, I’ll be catching up with friends, crafting, reading, or doing something outdoors, I don’t like to sit still for very long.

My favourite product that we sell at the Wasteless Pantry is probably the chilli and lime soya crisps or the Australian apricots, it’s a hard decision. If it’s not my favourite edible product is the new hair ties that we’ve started selling, they’re really good on my long thick, hair and hold everything in place.

If I had 1 waste free tip for anyone is use what you have or buy second hand instead of buying the new beaut thing. If you are buying something new make the sustainable choice, it will help the environment and your bank in the long run 🙂


Chia Pudding Recipes

Chia pudding is a crowd pleaser for breakfast, dessert or even just a snack!

 

So for this weeks recipe we though we would share three of our favourites!

 

 

Ingredients 

 

 

1 1/2 cup of milk of choice 

(For choc and cherry we used chocolate almond milk)

1/2 cup of chia seeds

1-2 tbsp maple syrup 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

Fruit to serve 

 

 

Method 

 

In a mixing bowl add milk, chia seeds, maple syrup and vanilla.

Stir to combine, you should feel the mixture start to thicken. 

You can add fruit into the mixture as well If you like. 

 

Pour into a jar or container and refrigerate over night, or at least 4 hours.

 

Top with fruit to serve!

 

*For apple and cinnamon add 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to a small amount of hot water and stir until dissolved, then add this to the mixture 

 

TIP 

If you are making the chocolate and cherry pudding, you can replace some of the milk with some cherry juice if you are using canned cherries 


Donuts!!!!

500g of donut mix 

250ml warm water

 

Mix together the ingredients until they are combined.

 

Roll out approximately 3cm thick on a lightly floured surface and cut into rounds with or without a middle hole.

 

Rest the batter for 10 mins before deep-frying at 190 C in oil.

 

Coat in cinnamon sugar, fill with jam or chocolate sauce or top with icing sugar. 

 

Super easy and super yummy!!

 

* Remember to collect your used cooking oil and recycle responsibly.