Zero Waste Summer Living

Don’t you just love the possibilities of the New Year!

“This is the year that I will…”

No matter what comes next, the excitement of new journeys to be taken or new skills to be learned are what makes life fun! If you are thinking of going waste less or up-ing your waste-free game then maybe consider these ideas for Summer:

  • Switching out disposable water bottles for reusable. It is a small change that will save you money in the long run, plus if you get an insulated option like those we have at WP then you will always have a cool drink handy on those hot days of Summer.
  • Take package-free snacks and goodies to your picnic so there is no litter left over.
  • Make your own icy poles, iced coffee, and iced tea – you can control the sugar content and reduce waste.
  • If you are getting into smoothies, get your additions like cacao, mesquite powder, maca powder, bee pollen, spinach or spirulina powder, and protein powders in the quantity you choose rather than packets. That way you won’t have bits taking up space come winter.
  • Make your own salad dressings! A few herbs, vinegar, and quality oil mixed together is the base of most and you can suit to taste will minimal experimenting.

Summer is a great time to relax, get outdoors in nature, and appreciate this wonderful place we call home. Your action to help keep it beautiful makes it that much more enjoyable too.


Sprouting Tips

We often get queried about what is ‘sproutable’ at WP.

Our very own, Belinda, shares this list of goodies available at Wasteless Pantry that she has managed to sprout successfully:

Mung Beans – super duper easy, they will sprout just looking at water
Adzuki Beans

Linseed
Borlotti Bean
Soya Bean
Broccoli Seed
Chickpeas
Poppy Seeds
Whole Wheat Grain
Brown Rice
Fenugreek Seed
Mustard Seed
Coriander Seed
Sesame Seed
Buckwheat
Millet

Amanda has also had some luck with Lentils, Popping Corn and sunflower kernels.

Larger beans are probably better sprouted in jars, I used a flat sprouter and the seeds went mouldy JUST as they started to sprout because it took so long.

Things that probably sprout but that we haven’t tried:

Pepitas
Other beans not listed above
Other spice seeds not listed above
Quinoa

It’s easy:
1. Soak your chosen item in a jar for 12 to 24 hours
2. Drain and cover with a lightweight, mesh fabric leaving upside down on its side in a bowl to allow drainage as well as air circulation
3. Each day for 2 to 5 days rinse and drain to keep hydrated
Once they have sprouted enough you can keep them in the fridge to slow down further growth. Eat them quickly though whilst they are at their best!


Snickers smoothie recipe!!

Ingredients from WP

– 2 dates

– 1 tbs cocoa powder

– 1 tbs peanut butter

Ingredients from elsewhere

– 2 frozen bananas

– 2 cups of almond milk (unless you make your own with our almonds 😋)

Method

1. Combine all ingredients, using a blender, until smooth

2. Pour into a glass and top with chopped dates, chocolate shavings and if your feeling really naughty, whipped cream 😍


Delicious Iced Coffee using bulk coffee bean ice blocks!

bulk coffee beans iced coffee recipe

Zero-waste iced coffee is easy to make at home with this great recipe! The key is to get your bulk coffee beans and milk powder unpackaged. Where is the best place to buy bulk coffee beans? From Wasteless Pantry (zero waste bulk food store in Perth, Australia) of course! It is simple to bring your own container in-store to refill. Alternatively shop bulk food online with us and have it delivered to your door plastic free. You can choose to buy bulk whole coffee beans or have them ground and ready to use. Our bulk roasted coffee beans are either locally roasted or locally grown. Bulk organic coffee beans are very popular! Whether you use our dairy full cream milk powder or vegan-friendly coconut milk powder, this recipe is a delicious treat any time of the year.

Ground coffee beans are not the same as instant coffee. So be sure to use a plunger or stovetop espresso maker from Wasteless Pantry too. Instant coffee is coffee that has already been prepared and then freeze-dried for longer storage. That’s why coffee made with fresh beans has such a different flavour and is generally preferred by many. The bonus of making coffee fresh at home is that you can make it as strong as you like and sweeten it to your taste. Need a tip on how to store your coffee beans? No need to pop them in the fridge but make sure they are in a cool dark place within an airtight container. That is the best way to store coffee beans according to our local roaster.

Iced coffee is easy to make at home!

Mix 2 shots of coffee with 3/4 cup of water, pour into an ice cube tray, and freeze. Once frozen, place the coffee ice blocks into a cup and fill it with milk, add maple syrup to taste 😜

Want another waste free iced beverage recipe to try? Check out our Matcha Iced Latte recipe next.


‘Go Wasteless’ Starter Guide

It’s a New Year and another opportunity to get cracking on reducing your waste. I love the enthusiasm that is generated from the calendar ticking over to January 1st, and all the new habits and resolutions that are inspired!

Step 1: Bin Audit

Starting with some ideas about what goes into your bin is the best first step. So as gross as it sounds, you are going to need to pay attention to what is going into your bin. If it’s a shared bin then it gets trickier and so picking a not too hot day/week to pull it all out on a tarp or the lawn is a confronting and informative way to find out exactly what has been hiding in there.

Group all the bits and bobs into as many categories as is useful to you:

Landfill – stuff that has no other place to go like disposable nappies and random little bits of plastic.

Compostable – think food waste, tissues, paper towels, hair from your hairbrush and dust out of the vacuum.

Recyclable – all the things that go in your yellow top bin.

Specialist recyclable – things like batteries, ink cartridges, toothbrushes, globes, spectacles, razors, mobile phones, e-waste and paint.

Step 2: Collection Bins

Now that you have figured out what you are dealing with, it’s time to make sure that you have all your collection bins sorted. Maybe you have only had a landfill bin in the house and so that is where everything has been going. Or maybe you figured out that you don’t actually know what goes in your yellow top recycling bin. Perhaps, your compost bin wasn’t cutting it as it was too big or too small and so nobody wanted to use it. Whatever you learnt, what is your solution?

In our house, we have a landfill bin, compost bucket and recycling bin in the Kitchen, Bathroom and Study/Office. We have a little battery collection bin in the draw with the new batteries. I pop bread tags, ink cartridges, used pens and toothbrushes into the shopping bag I take to Wasteless Pantry so that I can remember to drop them off each week. I put globes in my car for dropping off at the Sports Centre I go to. We have a box in the shed to collect any e-waste as that only gets dropped off about once a year.

Make it easy to collect your specialist recycling!

Think about putting all the information about what goes in each Collection Bin on it so that everyone can make good choices. And make sure to let the whole household know where they all are!

Step 3: Use What You Have

At this point, you might be rearing to go get all the cool zero waste gear so that you can tick the box of feeling wasteless. Hold your horses!

We would love you to instead use up all the products and food you have first before you think about getting anything new. With the exception of expired products and food which needs to be disposed of, it is usually best to just swap things out as you finish them up. Good reasons for this are that:

  • Saves money
  • Prevents waste
  • Reduces clutter
  • More gradual change is usually easier to keep up long term

So instead of going out and getting new containers, reuse jars and takeaway containers. Instead of getting shampoo bars, use up the last of all your shampoo samples and leftovers first. Instead of buying a fancy BYO coffee cup, take one from home. And yes, we want you to use up all the food in packets in your pantry, fridge and freezer too.

Anything that has passed it’s used by date could be a risk to your safety, but anything past it’s best before you can use your common sense as most likely it is just not quite as flavoursome and delicious as it was before.

Step 4: Gently Make a Change

Find one thing at a time to change.

Pick one area you’d like to wasteless and just start there.

When that is easy and hard for you not to do, then do the next thing.

Slow and steady, you’ll get there!


Smoothie Bowl

This delicious breakfast bowl is perfect for summer and super-duper delicious!!

Ingredients

– 1 mango

– 1 Banana

– 1 dragon fruit, pink or white

– 1/4 cup of coconut milk (go waste-free with our vegan coconut milk powder)

– 1/4 cup of granola (I used the WP paleo granola)

Method

– Cut all the fruit up into chunks and freeze overnight.

– Put the frozen fruit into a blender or a bowl with a stick blender, add coconut milk and blend until smooth

– Serve with cut-up fruit and granola on top

Enjoy!


Pasta Salad Dressing

If you’re looking for an easy but yummy dish to bring to a lunch or dinner with friends, you should try pasta salad with homemade dressing made from WP ingredients!

Dressing 

– 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar 

– 1 tsp of garlic granules 

– 1 tsp dried oregano 

– 1/2 tsp ground mustard seeds 

– 1/4 tsp salt & pepper 

– 1/2 cup of olive oil 

– 1 tsp dried basil 

* you can use mixed herbs instead of the other individual herbs 

Put all the ingredients into a container with a leak-proof lid. Shake well until combined and pour over salad!! In the pasta salad, we used spiral pasta, cherry tomatoes, corn kernels, capsicum, red onion, beetroot, grated zucchini and salami.


Iced Tea

Iced Tea is simple to make and makes a refreshing, lower sugar beverage option for warmer days.

3 cups of water with 3 teaspoons of loose jasmine green tea and 1 teaspoon of peppermint tea (both from WP) brewed in a pot then strained into a jug with 1 cup sugar (adjust to taste), 5 cups cold water and 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice. Serve over ice and garnish with mint leaves and lemon wedges.


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