WORDS BY ALICE THOMPSON
When you’re craving your first morning coffee or hankering for lunch, it’s hard to think about anything else.
Here in Australia, we love our coffee, but our take-away habits have an impact.
Coffee beans that are not harvested ethically result in worker exploitation and irreversible environmental damage. And single use plastic items such as straws, cutlery and take away cups and packaging contribute to the 300 million tonnes of plastic waste that is created each year.
Thankfully local cafes like Alowishus Delicious are already winning the war on waste and have been intentional about their eco-contribution right from the start.
Have you ever noticed the tiny leaves sprouting out of the curves of the Alowishus logo? Or the green leaves sprinkling their biodegradable and compostable take away coffee cups?
The leaves not only represent freshness but Alowishus’ mission to be environmentally sustainable and to use fair-trade products.
The banning of single use plastic items across Queensland began on September 1 this year. While some retailers and businesses were scrambling to comply, Alowishus Group Manager Marcus Sorbello said the café has been ahead of the game on eco matters.
“We had already switched 90 per cent of our packaging and single use items such as straws and cutlery to PLA or sustainable eco-friendly products. When single use plastic bags were banned in 2018, we took it one step further and began using paper bags,” Marcus said.
Alowishus has also incorporated several eco initiatives into their everyday operations including sending food waste to Splitters Farm, giving coffee grounds to the Endeavour Foundation for use in their worm farm, and donating egg cartons, buckets and lids to local schools for craft and learning aids.
Their accreditation as a Queensland Government EcoBiz Star Partner has been achieved through lowering their energy intensity, reducing waste to landfill by two industrial bins per week, and cutting the number of garbage bags they use from 500 to 300 per month.
So while customers are blissfully enjoying a caffeine hit or a bite from Alowishus, they can also know that their love for great coffee and delicious food is helping to make a cleaner world.
Alowishus Bundaberg Earls Court 176 Bourbong Street 07 4154 2233
Alowishus Maryborough 232–244 Adelaide Street Maryborough 07 4302 8631
Alowishus@ the UniRefectory Building 6 University Drive, Branyan 07 4150 7053
Alowishus on Bourbong – Coming soon! 290 Bourbong Street