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<\/p>\nELIZA Whitburn-Weber loves Ballarat\u2019s hospitality scene, but the former caf\u00e9 owner has discovered a gap in the market\u2019s sustainable practices.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe majority of coffee grounds are going to landfill, so we did some calculations and worked out that approximately 250 tonnes of coffee, in Ballarat alone, are going to landfill each year,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a lot of local producers here, and we\u2019ve realised we have an opportunity to close the loop.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Whitburn-Weber\u2019s new business is GroundUp, set to soon collect coffee grounds and kitchen scraps from caf\u00e9s and restaurants across the district.<\/p>\n
This waste will then be delivered to local farms, who will be able to compost it, grow their produce, and supply it back to Ballarat venues.<\/p>\n
GroundUp is all about a circular economy where produce can go from land-to-table, and back again.<\/p>\n
Many enterprises from across the region are already on board, including Hydrant, Caf\u00e9 Sidra, Lola, Little Bird, Cobbs Coffee, Drive, The Greenhouse Caf\u00e9, The Workshop Caf\u00e9, and The Hobbyist.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of venues have said this is something they\u2019ve wanted for a long time,\u201d Ms Whitburn-Weber said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome give coffee grounds to their community\u2019s keen home gardeners, but for a lot of these cafes, there\u2019s too much coffee waste for the average home gardener to take home.\u201d<\/p>\n
A similar number of farms are willing to be resource recipients already, including Burrumbeet\u2019s regenerative Sunnybank Farm, flower-growers and wineries.<\/p>\n
Hydrant\u2019s Elise Rowe said sustainability is a key value of her business.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we opened, we saw a huge amount of waste going out the door and into landfill. It\u2019s an area that needs to be addressed for us, so to do it in this way with GroundUp is amazing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis concept has existed in other places, but not in Ballarat, so it\u2019s wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Participating caf\u00e9s or restaurants will receive one or two wheely bins, depending on whether they\u2019ve signed up for coffee-ground or kitchen food-scrap collection, or both.<\/p>\n
Once a week, or fortnight, the GroundUp team will visit the venue, collecting their waste, and replacing the bin with a fresh one, before the grounds and scraps are taken to that day\u2019s designated farm drop-off.<\/p>\n
With a goal to be transparent, they will present quarterly reports about where scraps and grounds go, how much waste has been diverted from landfill, and CO2 reductions.<\/p>\n
For every invoice generated, a tree will be purchased from 15 Trees, and planted.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re making GroundUp simple, and we hope the program can be rolled out to other regions,\u201d Ms Whitburn-Weber said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019d like as many hospitality venues on board as possible to get Ballarat on the map for sustainability, but it\u2019s the patrons that will make this successful.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo and have your coffee, or your lunch, and you\u2019ll be supporting a caf\u00e9 or restaurant that\u2019s making a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n