Sustainable events

Give a Fork is a not-for-profit sustainability program, subsidising the cost of delicious and inclusive catering for university groups, and providing delivery and service at your event free of charge. They offer a food truck, protein for a barbecue, pre-packed / frozen meal delivery, or the service of curries, fried rice and stir fry's directly at your event.

Their catering is subsidised at up to a 90% cost reduction, and they offer a huge variety of cuisines (Mexican, Malaysian, German, Thai, Western, Vietnamese and many more); All whilst saving you up to 13 showers worth of water per serve, compared to traditional meat catering.

After your event, Give a Fork will quantify how much water, land, energy and emissions you saved by choosing tasty plant-based food, whilst helping you to cater to all diets, religions and ethical beliefs. That way, every student can be united by the same food.

A social enterprise that creates pathways to employment for people seeking asylum.

Has reusable crockery and cutlery you can hire.

Food is served in cardboard boxes.

Fitzroy North

Delivery beyond 10 kilometres is an additional $3.00 per kilometre.

This cafe employs an “all-abilities” crew to deliver a
vegetarian/pescetarian menu.

They offer a “Recipro-Catering” service, aiming to provide catering solutions that are both socially responsible and environmentally conscious.

Pawa Catering was established by Aboriginal woman Niyoka Bundle and her husband, head chef Vincent Manning, from the Isle of Man.

Their menu incorporates native ingredients from native food farmers and foragers.  They are also dedicated to providing a place of employment for Aboriginal communities and are Supply Nation certified.

Melbourne CBD and surrounding suburbs.

Jarrah Catering is a proud Aboriginal company that prides themselves on creating delicious dishes inspired by native, locally sourced ingredients. They can cater to any and all needs and events, including office seminars, all-day workshops, boardroom meetings, product launches, and other special events ranging from BBQ's to traditional Table Service.

Jarrah has established community partnerships to support people of diverse backgrounds, including First Nations and other marginalised groups, in areas such as education, health, advocacy, and economic opportunities.

Free to Feed provides professional guidance to women who have fled their war-torn countries for safety and creates Middle Eastern inspired dishes.

The organisation has initiated a circular catering solution aimed at minimizing packaging and food waste and their menu emphasises locally grown and seasonal produce, supporting local farmers and reducing the environmental impact associated with long-distance food transportation

A food systems social enterprise that provides supported  pre-vocational training and holistic personal support to marginalised young people aged 16-24 who need a hand.

STREAT harnesses renewable energy sources, including solar and green energy, to power its facilities.

They also have reusable crockery and cutlery available for hire.

A social enterprise café reinvesting profits into youth and homelessness programs, emphasising ethical business practices.

The café emphasises sourcing menu items locally to reduce its carbon footprint and supports local suppliers who share similar values.

The Little Social implements practices to
minimise environmental impact, such as using washable and reusable cups and avoiding disposable plastic products like bags, straws, and water bottles.

A social enterprise café reinvesting profits into youth and homelessness programs, emphasising ethical business practices.

The café emphasises sourcing menu items locally to reduce its carbon footprint and supports local suppliers who share similar values.

The Little Social implements practices to
minimise environmental impact, such as using washable and reusable cups and avoiding disposable plastic products like bags, straws, and water bottles.

This bakery serves plant-based, mostly gluten free desserts whilst employing people with disabilities.

Plant-based diets are associated with lower carbon footprints due to reduced resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions compared to animal-based products. The patisserie incorporates upcycled oat flour
into their recipes, minimising food waste and promoting resource efficiency.

A caterer committed to sustainability by ensuring low waste packaging and working with farmers to have sustainable practices.

They also provide a reusable crockery and cutlery service.

Wallaby Water (Victorian spring and sparkling water in aluminium cans or bottles)

Wallop Water (Brandable chilled and sparkling water fountains and refill taps)

Yaru Mineral Water (Glass-bottled sparkling water)

Bobby soft drinks (Caffeine free, non-gmo, vegan and 97-98% sugar free soft drinks)

Yes You Can (Locally made, non-alcoholic drinks)

Good Brew Kombucha (Bottled kombucha and self-contained catering service including cups and equipment)

Good edi (Edible coffee cups)

ReWine (A sustainable wine merchant that offers low-waste alternatives including selling wine in refillable bottles and serving wine straight from the barrell from local wineries)

SOBAH (Vegan-friendly, non-alcoholic alternatives provided by an Indigenous-owned company)

Cheaper Buy Miles (A grocery store that sells left over food items before their expiry date – preventing food waste!)

Confectionary Corner (Plastic free confectionary)

The Source Bulk Foods

Friends of the Earth

Uncle Charlie’s Taste of Country (Locally sourced popcorn available in cardboard packaging and with a popcorn maker available to hire for events)

Farmer's Pick (This company fights food waste with every box - filled with fresh, seasonal produce direct from farmers. With each box you’ll be helping reduce the food waste created by the unrealistic beauty standards of supermarkets and grocery stores that make rejects out of the perfectly imperfect)

The Choose to Reuse Events service can reduce waste at your next University of Melbourne event by providing reusable items instead of disposable food and drink packaging. The service is available to staff and student clubs organising events at the Parkville campus for a small hire and washing fee.

Coffee mugs are now also a part of the service.

• Good examples include Chinese
  money plants, Swisse Cheese,
  Monsteras, Devils Ivy or Spider
  plants.
• They are available in suitable sizes
  and usually under $30 and are easy
  to take care of. They can be bought
  at Bunnings (in store only).

• Zero waste
• Improves air quality
• Lasts a lot longer and gives back to nature
• You can also buy these beautiful pots that support Indigenous
  communities to accompany the plants.

• Hidden Sea
• Good will wine

• Hidden Sea wine, for every 1 bottle of wine bought they remove
  and recycle 10 plastic bottles from the ocean
• Good Will Wine raises money for Australian charities as 50% of the profits go to a charity of your choice.

• Ilan Style

• Dedicated to creating high-quality native Australian wellness
  products. They are 100% Indigenous woman owned and aim to uplift, honour and celebrate Torres Strait Islander languages
  and culture.

• World Wildlife Fund
• Edgars Mission
• Animals Australia
• Koala Hospital
• Australian Koala Foundation
• Fifteen trees
• Tree Project

• Not only zero waste but making a positive benefit to society
• Good for you and the planet
• Helping animals that are in need of protection
• Planting trees to help create a carbon sink

• Ceres
• Royal Botanical Gardens
  Aboriginal Heritage Walk
• Class Bento
• Free to Feed
• Coffee vouchers

• Offers environmental education workshops and courses
• Provides educational opportunities to gain knowledge and skills
  to be able to teach others and raise awareness about sustainability
• Learning is always a good thing
• The Sustainability Delivery team has a stamp to imprint on
  coffee vouchers, stating that they can only be redeemed with a reusable cup

• Kinyalerrk

• Wathaurong Glass & Art

• The Social Studio

• “Kinya Lerrk” is Wemba Wemba for “women coming together”
  with the business a collaboration between two female
  Indigenous artists. Kinya Lerrk focuses on using design and
  art to make homes and offices come alive with colourful
  designs which celebrate Aboriginal culture and respectfully
  acknowledge traditional owners of land. They sell a range of candles, tea towels, jewellery, body care, prints, accessories and decor.
• An Indigenous-owned company comprised of the Wathaurong tribe that consists of 25 clans within Victoria. They pride themselves in producing a wide variety of glass products including platters, bowls, glass light lenses and even trophies
• As Victoria’s only Ethical Clothing Australia-accredited, notfor-profit social enterprise, they use fashion and creativity as a
  cultural connector to create work and learning opportunities
  for Melbourne’s refugee and new migrant communities.

• Warndu

• Handmade soap by the Yawuru Jarndu Aboriginal Corporation
• Infused with Western Australian bush botanicals.
• Profits donated to the Aboriginal Women’s Art and Resource
  Centre
• Natural ingredients and ethical

• Flora and Fauna Microherbs
• Flora and Fauna Mini Gardens

• Promotes growing your own herbs
• Sustainable and ethical

• Retub
• Onya Life

• Promotes reuse
• Made from recycled plastic
• BPA free
• Zero waste

• Go For Zero
• Biome
• Eco Green Living
• Seeds and Sprouts
• Ngiilay

• Promotes zero waste and reuse
• Gives people the tools they need to start their zero-waste
  journey

• Pana
• Loco Love
• Bennetto

• Vegan
• No individually wrapped chocolates
• Low waste (only cardboard packaging)
• Is consumed rather than thrown away
• Fairtrade

• Sustainability Delivery team

• Order at cost price from the Sustainability Delivery team
• Promotes reuse rather than disposable

• Sustainability Delivery team

• Order at cost price from the Sustainability Delivery team
• Promotes reuse rather than disposable

• Fruit such as Local Organic
  Delivery and Farmer’s Pick
• Vegan baked goods from Green Refectory

• Zero waste
• Not as resource intensive as it is to buy products

• The Seed Collection

• 100% Australian owned and operated
• Untreated non-GMO seed

• Eco Party Box
• Green Your Event

• Say no to Balloons! Balloons harm both the environment and
  animals.
• Fabric or paper (not plastic) bunting doesn’t cost the earth

• Any pepperomias look amazing on a table. A few examples are listed below.

Moonlight peperomia
Spider Wort Peperomia
Hypoestes

They can be bought at Bunnings (in store only).

• Zero waste
• Improves air quality
• Lasts a lot longer and gives back to nature
• You can also buy beautiful pots to accompany it. Try and find
  sustainable pots.

• Blue Mountains Eco Confetti

• Biodegradable and compostable confetti often won’t break
  down by itself
• Use dried leaves and flowers
• Buy them or make your own
• You can also source them from Etsy but stay away from
  biodegradable and compostable

• Equipment hire from the
  University
• Facebook Marketplace

• Less resources being used and therefore less greenhouse
  gasses produced
• Circular economy

• Solar powered fairy lights
• Invitations can be sourced on
  seeded paper
• Instead of flowers for table decorations use pot plants or fruit
  bowls for centre pieces
• Order furniture from the Reuse
  Centre or hire furniture rather than
  buy it
• Repurposed and recycled products
  are best
• Use or giveaway fairtrade cotton
  tote or paper bags

• Hire extra waste and recycling bins for your event via Service Now (staff only). For organics bins email sustainable-campus@unimelb.edu.au.

• If you require extra cleaning after your event, log a request through Service Now (staff only).

• They will repurpose and recycle old clothes and fabric
• Can repurpose items even if they have a date and logo

• Recycles promotional banners and a range of other stationary & office items
• Drop off or pick up for a fee

• Corflute recycling in Melbourne
• Drop off small amounts for free or pick up for a fee

• Unsure where to recycle certain items? Check out this website to find out.
• Recycles anything from batteries to event equipment

• You could collaborate with other departments and campuses such as VCA Southbank campus to see if they would like to use event props for their sets or the  Abbotsford ELC if they would like any cardboard for their projects that they create.  Get creative and reach out to your contacts or post in the Zero Waste Yammer  channel.

• Ask your suppliers to reduce their packaging waste when sending you products. For example, if you buy individually wrapped hoodies, ask them to package this in groups of ten in one big plastic bag rather than individual.

• Ordered too much? Waste not want not! Donate by filling in the ‘Become a Food Donor’ & select “it’s a one-off donation” then follow the prompts. OzHarvest rescues good quality, surplus food, free of charge from registered businesses only. This food is then delivered to charity agencies in the local area.

• Attendees can plant their name tags, or you can collect them and give them to the Sustainability Delivery team to plant

Terra Tag

Paper go round

Sprintr (Printed name tags on demand)

• Digital sign in sheet using Qualtrics or digital registration using the Eventbrite app
• Use an app to have all your conference or program information digital
• Reduces waste as paper makes up the largest share of waste materials tossed out after events.
• Don’t print anything as it might be out of date very quickly from a brand perspective

• These services can reduce waste at your next event by providing reusable items instead of disposable food and drink packaging.