Water

The rainwater collected from the roof of the café is stored in three 1000 litre tanks next to the kitchen and two 1000 litre bladders under the veranda of the café. The rainwater is filtered using a UV and sand filter setup by CERES and Yarra Valley Water. The collected rainwater is then pumped onto the roof of the café into solar pipes, where it receives its first stage of heating, then pumped into the hot water tanks behind the café, heated to 70%C and used in the dishwasher and hot water service of the café.

All our waste water enters the CERES grey-water bio-filter and natural reed bed, where it is treated by an experimental waste water system and used to water the surrounding lawns and gardens. All the cleaning products used in the cafe are organically based and phosphate free, supplied by Back to Basics.

Waste

We have a policy of minimal take away service, reducing our non-renewable waste. Customers are encouraged to eat at the cafe, serving food on non-disposable plates with unbleached recycled paper napkins. No foam or plastic take away cups are available and all our food scraps are distributed through the worm-farms, chook yards and organic compost systems which feed the Market Garden.