Sustainability
For a better world...
We are in the middle of an environmental crisis. There’s no denying it. Many aspects of modern society just make this worse, including our throwaway culture and the tendency to do what’s easy over what’s right.
One of the most powerful ways to address this crisis is through small steps. Through individuals and businesses making changes, then encouraging others to do the same. Person by person, step by step, change can spread. An idea becomes a movement and that movement gathers momentum.
La Planta Cafe is a testament to Pablo’s passion in this area. The cafe acts not just as an example of how businesses can be more sustainable, but also as a testament to what individuals can do for the environment.
Pablo hopes that, in time, other businesses start focusing more on sustainability and find new ways to reduce their impact on the environment. After all, everyone is in this together.
Read an article made by Nelson City Council and its Waste Management department on our work HERE.
1 - No Disposable Cups
Most cafes sell takeaway coffee in single use coffee cups. Not only are such cups wasteful, but their plastic lining means that most aren’t recyclable either.
La Planta takes an entirely different approach – no disposable cups. You can bring your own cup for a sustainable takeaway or use one of our stainless steel Again Again cups.
These Again Again cups simply require a $4 deposit, which you get back when you return the cup. Being environmentally conscious has never been easier!
2 - Tetra Pack Recycling
La Planta Cafe also focuses on Tetra Pak recycling. However, this isn’t just your average recycling, as Tetra Pak has partnered with the startup Save Board to upcycle cartons in exciting new ways. The initiative actually allows the recycled cartons to be used in creating building materials.
3 - Composting
Community Compost Nelson is an important initiative for managing food waste and reducing emissions. It does this by collecting organics and food waste from many businesses and individuals, then turning this into compost.
This powerful social enterprise reduces the amount of organic matter in landfill, while the compost is used to support social composting activities and organic food growing projects. La Planta is proud to be connected with Community Compost and sees great potential in this service.
Please find their story made on a documentary, 'Ben & Beartha, A community's compost love story', HERE by Happen Films
4 - Foodprint
We’ve partnered with Aotearoa’s own food rescue app, Foodprint, to ensure that none of our food goes to waste. While we have excellent forecasting and systems in place, there are days when things don’t go exactly as planned. For those days, we’re stoked to know that Foodprint is there to help us out.
When we have surplus food, we’ll list it on the app (with a nice discount!), you can then purchase it and swing by to collect it. To get involved, simply download the app, add LA PLANTA CAFE as a favourite and you’ll be first to know when we have food available for rescue.
Foodprint is a Kiwi app that kicked off recently and made its way to Nelson this March 2023. It partners with local businesses to allow them to sell excess food from the day at a discount. Doing so provides customers with a generous discount while reducing food waste.
5 - Sustainability Connections
Finally, La Planta aims to promote sustainability in every way possible. This includes promoting sustainable events, such as the Rethink Waste Workshops and Events.
After all, awareness and education are crucial tools for creating a more sustainable society.
Every step and every change counts, even the small ones.
