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Bridestowe Lavender Estate

Image of Bridestowe Lavender Shop

Waste management project

Bridestowe Lavender Estate composts large quantities of organic waste from lavender oil production. The business wanted to focus on food and other waste generated through their cafe, to reduce waste to landfill. A waste audit identified that primary packaging from their manufacturing operations and retail store was actually a bigger problem.

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The Project

Evaluate the effectiveness of composting methods trials to inform the adoption of larger-scale resource efficiency strategies across the site.

Optimise supporting activities, ie separation and collection of waste and methods of disposal, etc, to enhance manufacturing processes, food service and the customer experience.

Objectives

  • Implement large-scale composting of food waste from the cafe.
  • Increase efficiency in food service and manufacturing.

Targets

  • Reduce waste to landfill by 50%.
  • Reduce or maintain service cycle times.
  • Reduce or maintain product cycle times.
Image of employee using sensory board ot sort materials

Workers are creating a sensory board to assist with material identification for separation and recycling.

Outcomes

What was implemented?

  • Processes for sorting and monitoring of waste streams are now implemented for all operations.
  • Oven replaced in kitchen eliminated the bulk of food waste from cafe.
  • Cardboard perforator installed and almost all cardboard re-used on site as a substitute for plastic bubble-wrap.

Key issues

  • Changing the culture of the business, everyone needs to play their part.
  • It’s expensive to do the right thing and there are hidden costs, eg time taken to sort and separate.
  • Finding simplified information is really hard.

Performance against targets

  • Our total waste volumes have increased significantly due to higher visitor numbers, however we have limited waste to landfill by extracting as much recyclable material as possible. We have integrated sorting so our service times in the cafe and cycle times in manufacturing are not affected.

Lessons Learnt

  • Staff wanted to be involved and help to be a part of the solution.
  • Ask for help outside of the organisation – we want to do the right thing but it is really confusing.
  • Look at your waste streams and work backwards up the supply chain.​
Image of perforated cardboard

Waste cardboard is now perforated and used as a substitute for plastic bubble wrap, effectively eliminating two problem wastes.

Image of Anna Robertson

Anna Robertson
General Manager

“I had really good engagement from staff. Everyone wants to be a part of the solution.”

Business Resource Efficiency Program

The Business Resource Efficiency Program (BREP) was delivered by Business Action Learning Tasmania in partnership with the Tasmanian government.

It is a key action from Climate Action 21, the Tasmanian Government’s climate change action plan.

11 Tasmanian businesses participated in BREP, which included waste audits, tailored resource efficiency improvement strategies, an action learning program, and one-on-one mentoring.

  • Red Brick Road Ciderworks
  • Bridestowe Lavender Estate
  • Botanical Resources Australia
  • Penguin Composites
  • Direct Edge Manufacturing
  • Nichols Poultry
  • Jinglers Creek Vineyard
  • Drysdale North
  • pitt&sherry
  • CPT Engineering
  • ThinkBig Printing
Increasing resource efficiency provides business benefits and sustainability outcomes.

Get in on the action

Are you interested in learning more about action learning for resource efficiency?

Contact us

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“We are very efficient at many things already because stinginess is a waste-fighting superpower!”
Karina DambergsCidermaker, Red Brick Road Ciderworks
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“I had really good engagement from staff. Everyone wants to be a part of the solution.”
Anna RobertsonGeneral Manager, Bridestowe Lavender Estate
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“I learned a lot from other set members, who had more experience with this type of project.”
Greg HillierCookery Teacher, Drysdale Training Restaurant
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“I appreciated having people outside my business to help me reflect on my achievements and celebrate successes along the way.”
Fiona TurnerVigneron, Jinglers Creek Vineyard
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“I discovered that we’re not isolated, there are common themes around resource efficiency across businesses and industries​."
Brett WheldonSystems Coordinator, CPT Engineering
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“Changing our mindset from ‘reducing waste’ to ‘improving quality’ made a big difference.”
Scott LovellOwner/Manager, Think Big Visual Solutions
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“A key learning for me was the important part industry plays in reducing waste in Tasmania.”
Phil StephensonChief Production Officer, Nichols Poultry
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“Finding a solution for fibre composite waste would be ground-breaking and quite significant. I feel we have come very close.”
Darren EmmertonProduction Manager, Penguin Composites
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“Check your waste contracts, don’t just renew them. You may find there is a strong business case for diverting waste from landfill.”
Adam SuttonProject Manager, Pitt & Sherry
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“It was great to get ideas from other businesses and see some of our ideas adopted by others in the group.”
Bronte RichardsonProgrammer, Direct Edge Engineering
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“Your company must be fully on board, right to the top, before you look at funding options.”
Ray HoweProduction Manager & Chief Engineer, Botanical Resources Australia
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“We’ve been really inspired by some of the solutions being developed in the different sectors that we were exposed to during the program.”
Kim RobinsonManaging Director, The Cove Tasmania
Kim Robinson, The Cove Tasmania
“There is no time to waste. George Town and the surrounding areas are ideal for developing a model for regenerative systems in regional areas.”
Frank StrieManaging Director, Terra Preta Developments
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“We’re driven by the tangible impact of sequestering tonnes of carbon, the co-benefits for the environment, and the potential to catalyse a cascade of carbon capture.”
Christina GiudiciCo-founder, The New Black Biochar
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“Working intensively with the group, we clearly defined niche customer groups for the Reuse Shed.”
Mica PerezProject manager, The Reuse Shed
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“Having to clearly define the problem to a group is helpful. The active listening and open questions are really valuable.”
John MeehanOperations Manager, Mitchell Plastic Welding
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The Business Resource Efficiency Program is funded by, and delivered in partnership with, the Tasmanian government.