As the New Year unfolds, it brings with it the thrill of new resolutions and adventures. If enhancing your sustainability practices is on your list, here are some simple yet impactful ways to embrace zero waste living this summer:
Reusable Water Bottles: Ditch disposable water bottles for reusable ones. At Wasteless Pantry, we offer insulated options that keep your drinks cool throughout those sweltering summer days, saving you money and reducing plastic waste.
Package-Free Picnics: Opt for package-free snacks and treats when you head out for a picnic. This small choice ensures that you leave no trace behind, keeping your favorite outdoor spots pristine.
DIY Icy Delights: Make your own icy poles, iced coffee, and iced tea at home. This not only lets you control the sugar content but also cuts down on packaging waste.
Bulk Smoothie Ingredients: Get your smoothie additives like cacao, maca powder, bee pollen, and protein powders in bulk from Wasteless Pantry. This allows you to buy just the amount you need, avoiding unnecessary packaging and waste.
Homemade Salad Dressings: Whip up your own salad dressings using a few simple ingredients like herbs, vinegar, and oil. This not only tastes better but also reduces the need for store-bought versions that often come in plastic containers.
Benefits of Shopping at Wasteless Pantry: Shopping at Wasteless Pantry for your summer essentials means you’re not just preparing for a season of fun and relaxation, but you’re also making a positive impact on the environment. By choosing bulk and package-free options, you help reduce waste and support sustainable practices that keep our planet healthy.
Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors and appreciate the natural beauty around us. By adopting these zero waste habits, you contribute to preserving the environment, ensuring it remains beautiful and vibrant for generations to come.
Sprouting at home is an enjoyable and healthy hobby, and Wasteless Pantry has everything you need to get started with our home sprouting guide. Our very own sprouting enthusiast, Belinda, has compiled a list of seeds and grains that have proven successful in sprouting, ensuring a wide range of options for you to try.
Successful Sprouting Seeds:
Mung Beans: Extremely easy to sprout, practically starting to grow with just a hint of water.
Chickpeas and Adzuki Beans: Offer a slightly more robust flavor and texture.
Poppy, Coriander, Sesame, Mustard, Linseed and Fenugreek Seeds: Known for their health benefits and sprouting reliability.
Grains and Other Seeds: Including whole wheat grain, brown rice, and even buckwheat and millet.
Amanda from Wasteless Pantry has also found success with lentils, popping corn, and sunflowerkernels. However, larger beans like Borlotti and Soya might do better in a jar due to their size, as flat sprouters can sometimes lead to mold issues if the seeds take too long to sprout.
Here’s How You Can Start Sprouting:
Soaking: Place your chosen seeds in a jar covered with water for 12 to 24 hours.
Draining: Use a lightweight, mesh fabric to cover the jar, tipping it to allow both drainage and air circulation.
Rinsing: Continue to rinse and drain the seeds each day for 2 to 5 days until they begin to sprout.
Storing: Once sprouted, keep them in the fridge to slow down growth and maintain freshness. Consume them quickly to enjoy their peak flavor and nutritional value.
Sprouting isn’t just for the health-conscious; it’s for anyone wanting to add a bit of homegrown vitality to their diet. Wasteless Pantry provides all the essentials for getting started on your sprouting journey, making it easy and fun to grow your own superfoods right in your kitchen. Happy sprouting!
Craving a Snickers bar but looking for a healthier alternative? Whip up this delicious Snickers Smoothie using quality ingredients from Wasteless Pantry. It’s not only nutritious but also a guilt-free way to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Ingredients:
2 dates (from Wasteless Pantry)
1 tbsp cocoa powder (from Wasteless Pantry)
1 tbsp peanut butter (from Wasteless Pantry)
2 frozen bananas
2 cups of almond milk (make your own using almonds from Wasteless Pantry for an extra fresh taste!)
Instructions:
Blend: In a blender, combine the dates, cocoa powder, peanut butter, frozen bananas, and almond milk. Blend until smooth.
Serve: Pour the smoothie into a glass and garnish with chopped dates, chocolate shavings, and if you’re feeling indulgent, a dollop of whipped cream.
Benefits of Shopping at Wasteless Pantry: Choosing Wasteless Pantry for your smoothie ingredients not only ensures you’re using the freshest and finest products but also supports your zero waste goals. By purchasing bulk ingredients like cocoa powder and almonds, you reduce packaging waste and can buy exactly the amount you need, minimizing food waste. Wasteless Pantry’s commitment to sustainability means you’re contributing to a healthier planet while enjoying your delicious treats.
Using older bananas in your Snickers Smoothie not only enhances the natural sweetness of the drink but also contributes to reducing food waste. Overripe bananas, often discarded, are actually an excellent choice for smoothies due to their softer texture and higher sugar content, making them perfect for blending. By utilizing these bananas, you’re not only optimizing the flavor of your smoothie but also practicing sustainable kitchen habits. Wasteless Pantry encourages the use of such ingredients to help minimize food waste while enjoying delicious and nutritious recipes.
This Snickers Smoothie is perfect for a quick breakfast, a post-workout snack, or even a decadent dessert. Enjoy all the flavors of your favorite candy bar without any of the guilt!
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.
It’s a New Year and another opportunity to get cracking on reducing your waste with Wasteless Pantry‘s Zero Waste Starter Guide. 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!
If you need more tips, pop into Wasteless Pantry and have a chat.
Kickstart your summer mornings with a vibrant and nutritious Smoothie Bowl, crafted from fresh, eco-friendly ingredients available at Wasteless Pantry. This delicious breakfast bowl is not only perfect for hot days but also supports a sustainable lifestyle.
Ingredients:
1 ripe mango
1 banana
1 dragon fruit (pink or white)
1/4 cup coconut milk (make your own using Wasteless Pantry’s vegan coconut milk powder)
1/4 cup granola (try Wasteless Pantry’s paleo granola for a healthy twist)
Instructions:
Preparation: The night before, cut all the fruit into chunks and freeze them.
Blend: Place the frozen fruit chunks into a blender, add the coconut milk, and blend until smooth.
Serve: Pour the smooth mixture into a bowl and top with fresh cut-up fruit and granola.
Selecting in-season fruits for your smoothie bowl not only ensures you are enjoying the freshest and tastiest produce but also supports local agriculture and reduces the environmental impact associated with long-distance transportation. Fruits that are in season are often more nutrient-dense and flavorful, enhancing the overall quality of your meal. Wasteless Pantry promotes the use of seasonal ingredients, which helps in sustaining local economies and encourages a more sustainable food network. Enjoy a more delicious and eco-friendly smoothie bowl by choosing fruits that are at their peak!
Why Shop at Wasteless Pantry: Choosing to buy ingredients from Wasteless Pantry means you’re investing in quality and sustainability. By purchasing bulk and package-free ingredients, you minimize waste and reduce your environmental footprint. Wasteless Pantry offers a variety of organic and natural products that enhance both the health benefits of your meals and the integrity of your eco-friendly lifestyle.
Enjoy your smoothie bowl knowing that you’re indulging in a meal that is good for you and good for the planet. This recipe is perfect for anyone looking to enjoy a delicious and quick meal that fits perfectly into a healthy, active lifestyle.
Are you looking for a simple yet tasty dish to bring to a lunch or dinner with friends? Look no further! A pasta salad is always a crowd-pleaser, and this homemade dressing made from Wasteless Pantry ingredients will take your salad to the next level. Not only is it delicious, but it’s also incredibly easy to make. Plus, all the ingredients can be purchased package-free from our store, helping you reduce waste while enjoying a fresh, flavorful meal.
Pasta Salad Dressing Recipe
Ingredients:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground mustard seeds
1/4 tsp salt & pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp dried basil Optional: You can substitute the individual herbs for 1 tsp of mixed herbs if desired.
Instructions:
Place all the ingredients into a container with a leak-proof lid.
Shake the container vigorously for about 30 seconds until all ingredients are well combined.
Pour the dressing over your prepared pasta salad and toss well to evenly coat the salad.
The dressing will add a tangy, herb-filled flavor that perfectly complements the ingredients in your salad. In our pasta salad, we used spiral pasta, cherry tomatoes, corn kernels, capsicum, red onion, beetroot, grated zucchini, and salami, but you can customise the salad with your favourite vegetables, proteins, or vegan alternatives.
Why Buy Your Ingredients from Wasteless Pantry?
At Wasteless Pantry, we believe in making it easy for you to live sustainably. All the ingredients needed for this dressing, from olive oil to garlic granules, are available in bulk at our store, allowing you to purchase exactly the amount you need without unnecessary packaging. This not only reduces waste but also helps you save money and reduce food waste at home. Shopping package-free ensures that you contribute less plastic to landfill, and you get high-quality, fresh ingredients for your meals.
Additionally, when you shop with us, you’re supporting a local business that prioritizes sustainability and environmental responsibility. Together, we can make a difference—one pasta salad at a time!
Benefits of Homemade Pasta Salad Dressing
Healthier: Control the quality of ingredients and avoid preservatives.
Customizable: Adjust herbs and spices to suit your taste.
Zero-waste: Use eco-friendly, packaging-free ingredients from Wasteless Pantry.
As the weather warms up, a refreshing iced tea is the perfect way to cool down while enjoying a lower-sugar beverage option. With just a few simple ingredients, you can make a delicious, thirst-quenching drink at home, and when you purchase your ingredients from Wasteless Pantry, you’re also helping reduce waste. This recipe features loose jasmine green tea and peppermint tea, both available in bulk from our store, making it not only sustainable but also customizable to your taste.
Iced Tea Recipe
Ingredients:
3 cups of water
3 tsp loose jasmine green tea
1 tsp peppermint tea
1 cup sugar (adjust to taste)
5 cups cold water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Ice cubes
Mint leaves and lemon wedges for garnish
Instructions:
In a medium-sized pot, bring 3 cups of water to a gentle boil. Once the water is boiling, remove it from the heat.
Add the 3 teaspoons of loose jasmine green tea and 1 teaspoon of peppermint tea to the pot. Let it steep for 5 minutes.
Strain the brewed tea into a large jug or pitcher to remove the tea leaves.
Stir in 1 cup of sugar, adjusting to your preferred sweetness level. The heat from the tea will help dissolve the sugar.
Add 5 cups of cold water to the jug, followed by 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice. Stir well to combine.
Serve the iced tea over ice cubes in glasses and garnish with fresh mint leaves and lemon wedges for a refreshing touch.
This recipe makes about 8 servings of iced tea and can be easily adjusted if you want to make a larger or smaller batch. The combination of jasmine green tea, peppermint, and lemon gives it a light, fragrant flavor with a hint of citrus—perfect for warm days.
Why Buy Your Ingredients from Wasteless Pantry?
When you shop at Wasteless Pantry, you’re not just getting high-quality ingredients—you’re making a sustainable choice. Our loose-leaf teas and sugar are available in bulk, allowing you to purchase exactly the amount you need without unnecessary packaging. This reduces your environmental footprint by cutting down on single-use plastics and excess waste. Plus, our ingredients are fresh, so you can enjoy better-tasting beverages while feeling good about your eco-friendly choices.
Wasteless Pantry also offers a wide range of bulk ingredients, so whether you’re making iced tea or another homemade treat, you can find everything you need while supporting a business dedicated to sustainability. By choosing to buy in bulk, you help reduce waste and promote a healthier planet—one refreshing glass of iced tea at a time!
Benefits of Homemade Iced Tea
Lower Sugar: Control the amount of sugar and sweeten to your taste.
Healthier: Use natural ingredients like fresh lemon and loose-leaf tea.
Sustainable: Reduce waste with bulk ingredients from Wasteless Pantry.
Chia pudding is the perfect versatile dish that works for breakfast, dessert, or a quick snack. It’s packed with fiber, healthy fats, and can be easily customized to your taste. This week, we’re sharing three of our favorite chia pudding recipes that are sure to be a hit! Plus, by sourcing your ingredients from Wasteless Pantry, you’ll not only be enjoying a tasty treat but also supporting a zero-waste lifestyle.
Chia Pudding Base Recipe
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of milk of choice (for the choc and cherry pudding, we used chocolate almond milk)
1/2 cup chia seeds
1-2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
Fruit to serve
Instructions:
Prepare the Base In a mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of milk, 1/2 cup chia seeds, 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Stir the ingredients well to ensure the chia seeds are evenly distributed and the mixture begins to thicken. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
Customize and Refrigerate You can add fruit directly into the pudding mixture at this stage or keep it simple and top with fruit when serving. Once mixed, pour the chia pudding into jars or containers and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours. This allows the chia seeds to absorb the liquid and create a pudding-like consistency.
Top with Fruit and Serve When ready to eat, top your chia pudding with fresh fruit and enjoy!
Three Chia Pudding Variations
Apple Cinnamon Chia Pudding Add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to a small amount of hot water and stir until dissolved. Mix this into your chia pudding base for a warming, spiced twist. Top with fresh apple slices before serving.
Chocolate and Cherry Chia Pudding For a rich, indulgent treat, use chocolate almond milk in the base. You can also replace some of the milk with cherry juice (especially if you’re using canned cherries). Top with fresh or canned cherries for a delicious chocolate-cherry flavor combination.
Classic Vanilla Chia Pudding Keep it simple with the original recipe and top with your favorite fruits like berries, banana slices, or kiwi for a light and refreshing snack or breakfast option.
Why Buy Ingredients from Wasteless Pantry?
By purchasing your chia seeds, maple syrup, and other ingredients from Wasteless Pantry, you’re making a sustainable choice. We offer high-quality bulk ingredients without the unnecessary packaging, allowing you to buy just what you need. This helps reduce food waste and plastic waste, making your meals more eco-friendly. Supporting Wasteless Pantry also means supporting local sustainability initiatives and promoting a zero-waste lifestyle in your everyday choices.
Benefits of Chia Pudding
Nutritious: High in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and protein, chia seeds are a great addition to a healthy diet.
Customizable: You can create endless flavor combinations by switching up the milk, sweeteners, and toppings.
Eco-Friendly: Made with bulk ingredients from Wasteless Pantry, this recipe helps reduce packaging waste.
With every New Year comes the temptation to set some resolutions and, for many years, I diligently made a list of outcomes I was striving to achieve over the next 12 months. However, I would usually find myself at the beginning of the next year dusting off the previous list before writing a new version (can you relate?) with variable degrees of success.
In the past few years, I noticed that I achieved my goals when I managed to establish new habits. When I focus on changing onehabit at at time I make changes which in turn deliver the end goal and become embedded in my daily life and therefore last a lifetime. This has been true in terms of health, money, career and relationships!
In respect of waste reduction, it has been tempting to set goals like “I will generate less than 1kg of landfill each month” but this does not always translate to specific actions or help with decision making in the heat of the moment. I have found that habits that make everyday decisions easier to reduce waste have more impact.
What has worked for our family is to change habits which, in turn, have a positive impact the outcome. For example, we have been working on:
Habit
Achievement
Always keeping a set of resusable containers and bags in each car
99%
Keeping a small foldable bag in our handbag (me), workbag (hubby) or backpacks (kids)
95%
Menu planning every week
85%
Using leftovers for lunches and/or having a leftover night
90%
Taking our reusable water bottle (everywhere!)
100%
Composting any food scraps that our dog can’t/won’t eat
95%
Not buying a coffee if we can’t use a ceramic cup or keep cup
100%
Using our sodastream and only buying soft drinks in aluminium cans
95%
Giving experiences as gifts rather than ‘stuff’ or wrapping ‘stuff’ in fabric squares, tea towels or reuseable gift bag
85%
Taking resusable drink cup to the cinema for frozen soft drink (really proud of my kids for this one!)
100%
Buy secondhand items wherever possible
80%
Taking home-made, unpackaged food for school lunches.
75%
The habit we are working on at the moment is to limit our food purchases to products that can be bought:
in our own reusable containers at the bulk store, greengrocer, butcher, bakery and deli counter
in cans or in glass
in paper or cardboard
It IS sometimes cheaper or more convenient to buy something close to hand, wrapped in plastic but that is where changing your habits makes the difference. Instead of calling into the supermarket on the way home from work at the last minute, we now do a menu plan for the week ahead and schedule in time for shopping trips to buy low-waste alternatives. Once we had done this a few times and got into a rhythm with the new habit, the prepackaged items were no longer a temptation! We still struggle to find alternatives to a few everyday items such as milk and yoghurt as well as some treats such as chips/cheezles (I know, right!) but, overall, I am pleased with our progress.
By changing our habits rather than focussing on the outcomes, our family has seen dramatic reductions in what goes into both our landfill and recycling bins and, once a habit becomes ‘normal’, we can avoid slipping back to the old behaviours that used to created waste.
Can you relate? What habits have worked for your household?
