Month: May 2022

Matcha Iced Latte Recipe

Kickstart your morning with a refreshing and energizing Matcha Iced Latte. This delightful beverage not only offers a unique taste but also a host of health benefits, thanks to the star ingredient: matcha. Here’s how you can prepare it using high-quality ingredients from Wasteless Pantry.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp matcha powder
  • 1 tbsp honey (or to taste)
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp warm water (not boiling)
  • Ice cubes
  • 1 cup of your preferred milk

Instructions:

  1. Prepare Matcha: In a small bowl, whisk together the matcha powder, honey, and warm water until the matcha is fully dissolved.
  2. Add Vanilla: Add vanilla extract to a glass filled with ice.
  3. Combine: Pour the matcha mixture over the ice.
  4. Finish with Milk: Add your choice of milk and stir well to combine everything.

Why Matcha? Matcha is renowned for its high antioxidant content, particularly catechins, which are known for their cancer-fighting properties. It’s also a great source of energy without the jittery side effects of coffee, thanks to its unique combination of caffeine and L-theanine, which improves focus and helps in maintaining a calm alertness.

Benefits of Shopping at Wasteless Pantry: By choosing Wasteless Pantry for your matcha and other ingredients, you’re opting for sustainability. Wasteless Pantry allows you to purchase exactly the amount you need, reducing food waste and minimizing packaging. This not only supports your health but also the health of the planet, ensuring that your dietary choices contribute positively to the environment.

Enjoy this Matcha Iced Latte knowing that you’re consuming a beverage that’s as good for the earth as it is for your body. Perfect for those who want a quick, healthy, and refreshing start to their day!


Mobile Phone Recycling: Go for Zero with MobileMuster

Australia is sitting on a goldmine—not of gold, but of old mobile phones. An estimated 4.2 million broken and unused phones clutter our drawers, each a tiny trove of precious metals and valuable materials. MobileMuster’s Go for Zero campaign is seizing the opportunity to transform this e-waste into a resource for sustainable practice.

Recycling these phones is more than a cleanup act; it’s a crucial environmental initiative. The metals in these devices are mined at a significant ecological cost, and with finite resources, it’s imperative we reclaim what we can. Successfully recycling these 4.2 million phones could prevent over 8,000 tonnes of minerals from being mined, which is equivalent to the environmental benefit of planting 42,000 trees.

This month, we urge everyone to dig through those bottom drawers, check the studies, and clear out the garages. Find those old phones and accessories and bring them to your nearest Australia Post outlet or participate at a local Wasteless Pantry store. It’s a simple action with profound impacts, not only helping reduce waste but also conserving natural resources and reducing carbon emissions.

What Can You Recycle at WP? For more information on what you can recycle, including mobile phones and other items, visit our Specialist Recycling page on the Wasteless Pantry website. Get involved and help us make a difference in reducing electronic waste with effective recycling initiatives.

Joining this campaign doesn’t just rid you of clutter—it contributes to a larger movement towards sustainability and responsible resource recovery. Let’s go for zero waste and maximize our recycling efforts!


Earl Grey Tea Cake Recipe

This Earl Grey Tea Cake recipe is the perfect choice for impressing special visitors. This delicate and fragrant cake combines the subtle flavors of Earl Grey tea with a classic sponge base, making it ideal for afternoon tea or celebrations. Let’s dive into how you can bake this beautiful cake using bulk food store ingredients from Wasteless Pantry.

Ingredients:

  • Cake:
    • 250g butter, softened
    • 250g caster sugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    • 5 eggs (or 3 duck eggs)
    • 250g self-raising flour
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1 tsp loose-leaf Earl Grey tea, crushed
    • ¼ cup milk
    • Oil for greasing
  • Earl Grey Syrup:
    • 1 cup water
    • 1 tsp Earl Grey tea
    • 1 cup caster sugar
    • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • Decoration:
    • 450ml cream
    • 3 tsp caster sugar
    • ¼ tsp vanilla powder
    • Dried edible flowers

Instructions:

  1. Preheat & Prepare: Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line and grease two 20cm cake tins.
  2. Cake Batter: Whisk butter and sugar for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time. Fold in the self-raising flour, baking powder, and Earl Grey tea. Add milk to keep the batter moist.
  3. Bake: Divide the batter between the tins and bake for 25-30 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely in the tins.
  4. Earl Grey Syrup: While baking, make the syrup by boiling water, tea, and sugar until syrupy. Stir in vanilla and cool.
  5. Assemble: Poke holes in the cooled cake and drizzle syrup. Spread whipped cream between layers, top with more syrup, and decorate with flowers.

Why Buy Ingredients at Wasteless Pantry? Sourcing your baking ingredients from Wasteless Pantry ensures sustainability and quality. By purchasing in bulk, you reduce packaging waste and have the flexibility to buy exactly what you need, which minimizes food waste. Plus, you’ll be supporting an eco-friendly business model that encourages a zero-waste lifestyle, which is as good for the planet as it is for your baking.

Enjoy the unique flavor of this Earl Grey Tea Cake with friends or loved ones, and experience the difference that using fresh, sustainable ingredients makes.


French Onion Pasta Bake Recipe

Dive into the comfort of a hearty French Onion Pasta Bake, a perfect blend of savory flavors and creamy textures. This recipe brings together the richness of French onion with the satisfying taste of baked pasta, with ingredients sourced from eco-friendly options at Wasteless Pantry.

Ingredients:

  • 375g dried penne pasta
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme, divided
  • 30g French onion seasoning mix
  • 2 tsp garlic granules
  • 25g butter
  • 2 large brown onions, diced
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 300mL cream
  • 1 1/2 cup grated cheese
  • Optional: added veggies of your choice

Instructions:

  1. Preparation: Preheat your oven to 180°C. Cook the pasta until it’s almost al dente, then drain.
  2. Onion Mixture: In a frypan, melt butter with oil, and sauté onions until caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in garlic and 1 tsp thyme, cook for 30 seconds. Add French onion mix and white wine, reducing the liquid by half.
  3. Combine: Stir in the cream and remaining thyme, season with pepper, and mix with the pasta. If adding quick-cook veggies like spinach, fold them in now.
  4. Bake: Transfer the pasta mixture into a baking dish, sprinkle with cheese, and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.
  5. Serve: Garnish with thyme and enjoy warm.

Benefits of Shopping at Wasteless Pantry: Purchasing your ingredients from Wasteless Pantry promotes a sustainable cooking approach. By choosing a store that offers bulk purchasing, you reduce packaging waste and only buy what you need, which helps in minimizing food wastage. Wasteless Pantry’s commitment to providing high-quality, fresh ingredients ensures that your meals are not only delicious but also environmentally responsible.

This French Onion Pasta Bake is ideal for a cozy dinner or gathering, providing a comforting and satisfying meal that supports your commitment to a healthier planet.


Bread Tag Recycling

Are you aware of the potential your collected bread tags hold? These small plastic items, often overlooked and deemed too insignificant for curbside recycling, are making a big impact through the Aussie Bread Tags for Wheelchairs program. This initiative not only recycles these tags but also turns them into a resource to aid disadvantaged individuals, primarily in South Africa, by funding wheelchairs.

Recycling Process: Located in Robe, South Australia, Transmutation—led by Brad and Narelle Scott—specializes in crafting recycled plastic into useful products like bowls, boards, and pens. Their craft plastic recycling operation and retail shop not only support recycling efforts but also feature products from Australian artisans who are committed to reducing landfill. Every month, they receive shipments of bread tags collected from various sources, transforming these into beautiful, functional items available for purchase online and at their Robe shop. Some of their products are even available at Country Road.

Alternative Uses for Cardboard Tags: If you encounter cardboard tags, these can be composted at home, placed in the green bin, or even used directly in your garden as mulch. A simple test to differentiate them from plastic tags is the tear test: if you can tear it, it’s compostable.

A Sustainable Shift: For those looking to reduce their environmental footprint further, consider taking a reusable bread bag to your local bakery. This simple change not only reduces waste but also ensures your bread stays fresh for longer, whether on the counter or in the freezer.

Learn More: Discover more about what you can recycle by visiting the Wasteless Pantry’s Specialist Recycling page. Engage in sustainable practices that extend beyond just recycling bread tags and contribute more actively to environmental conservation.


Oral Care Recycling

Are you aware that you can recycle your old dental and oral care products at Wasteless Pantry? Even if you haven’t made the switch to eco-friendlier alternatives like bamboo toothbrushes or refillable tooth powders, you can still reduce your environmental impact by participating in our oral care recycling program.

What Can You Recycle?

  • Toothpaste tubes and caps
  • Manual toothbrushes
  • Electric toothbrush heads
  • Toothpaste tube plastic packaging
  • Floss containers

Items Not Accepted:

  • Cardboard packaging (recycle these in your kerbside recycling bin)
  • Electronic toothbrush handles and bases (these are not recyclable through this program)

Recycling Process: Once collected, the oral care products are separated based on their composition. They are then shredded and melted down into plastic pellets, which Terracycle uses to create new recycled products. This process not only diverts waste from landfills but also contributes to the circular economy, turning old products into new.

Why Recycle at Wasteless Pantry? Recycling your oral care products at Wasteless Pantry helps reduce landfill waste and supports the recycling of materials that are not typically accepted in regular recycling programs. By participating, you contribute to a sustainable system that values resource recovery and the reuse of materials.

For more information on what you can recycle and how, visit our Specialist Recycling page or Recycle Right. Take this simple step towards a greener lifestyle by recycling your dental care products and exploring other recycling opportunities offered by Wasteless Pantry.