EarthCheck
EarthCheck is the world’s leading scientific benchmarking, certification and advisory group for travel and tourism. Since 1987, they have helped businesses, communities and governments to deliver clean, safe, prosperous and healthy destinations for travellers to visit, live, work and play.
Retreats involved: All Spicers Retreats
CCIQ Ecobiz
CCIQ ecoBiz is a free program, funded by the Queensland Government, that helps businesses save money across their energy, water and waste bills with sustainability initiatives.
EcoBiz works with Spicers Retreats to help drive sustainable practices such as reducing resource intensity and promoting a culture of proactive sustainability within operations.
Retreats involved: All QLD Retreats
The Last Straw
The Last Straw is a campaign to reduce the use of the plastic straws in venues around Australia. They aim to tackle the issue from both sides- encouraging consumers to use less plastic straws and encouraging businesses to give out less straws through staff training and information.
Mass plastic use is a huge problem that contributes massive amounts to landfill and has a negative impact on ocean eco systems. Plastic straws are an unnecessary convenience with a big impact. Single use plastics, especially straws, are having an adverse affect on our world, and it’s time to do something about it.
Spicers Retreats have been supporters of The Last Straw by implementing a no straw policy across the retreats. They have set an excellent example for their peers on how venues can conduct themselves in an environmentally conscious manner.
Retreats involved: All Spicers Retreats
Scouts Recycling
Scouts Recycling picks up all of Spicers Retreats beverage containers to be recycled through the Container Refund Scheme.
For Scouts the natural environment is where they do most of their youth development work and environmental education. Caring for the environment is something Scouts has been doing for over 100 years and Spicers Retreats are also about caring for the local environment, and sustainability so the partnership is perfect.
Visit the Scouts Recycling website
Retreats involved: All QLD Retreats
Mallow Sustainability
Mallow Sustainability provides a food waste collection service to businesses. looking to reduce the environmental impact of waste disposal. They collect food waste such as coffee grinds, fruit and vegetable scraps and other organic waste such as compostable coffee cups from businesses around Brisbane.
They use a combination of composting and worm farming to break down organic material into valuable soil amendments. The compost they produce in their farming operations, allow the nutrients from the organic waste to be returned to the soil rather than being sent to landfill and wasted.
Visit Mallow Sustainability website
Retreats involved: Spicers Hidden Vale & Spicers Head Office
The Circular Economy
A Circular Economy is an economic performance based model that relies on system wide innovation to reduce dependence on primary materials and energy, design out waste, extract the maximum value from materials and resources whilst in use and create new opportunities for both small and large businesses to generate economic, social and natural capital.
Visit The Circular Economy website
Retreats involved: Spicers Hidden Vale & Spicers Head Office
The World’s Biggest Garage Sale
The World’s Biggest Garage Sale (WBGS) is a Brisbane based start-up/scale-up, designing solutions to commercialise the circular economy through the activation of dormant goods for good. They maximise the value of goods already in the economy, through the circular principles of recycle, repurpose, reuse and re-commerce.
In doing so, they’re diverting landfill, and drawing wealth from waste which is invested back into our local communities. As well as educating our community about sustainable consumption, they give back financially by donating profits from the sale of donated goods to a number of charity benefactors.
Visit The World’s Biggest Garage Sale website
Retreats involved: All QLD Retreats
See more valued partners below
Enviro Sand
Enviro Sand is an Australian-owned company producing quality manufactured sands made from 100% recycled glass. Using innovative recycling technology developed at their Brisbane manufacturing plant they recover glass waste previously destined for landfill, converting it into a valuable glass powder. This glass powder is converted into building material and also kitchen beanchtops.
They provide a sustainable alternative to the mining and processing of virgin quarried sand products, for use in the construction industry. While excessive mining is depleting our natural resources, a deluge of glass waste threatens to inundate our planet with landfill.
Retreats involved: All QLD Retreats.
Aquachiara
The Aquachiara product and concept provides real and immediate economic benefits to the hospitality industry for filtered, chilled and sparkling water. In addition it provides efficient solutions to excess refuse, limited storage and the stock ordering processes. It is a green, environmentally friendly solution to the increasing demand for bottled water.
Retreats involved: All Spicers Retreats
Austep Lighting
At Austep Lighting they imagine a future where buildings are lit with only a few watts of power, recyclable and repairable lights, smart lighting, sunlight, and efficient building design. ‘Light’ is a symbol of hope, so what better place to start than lighting.
They want to be part of the massive global shift to LED lighting, since lighting represents up to 20% of the worlds power use, and LED can reduce that by up to 90%. In 2017 alone LEDs reduced CO2 emissions by more than 570 million tons, and it’s only the beginning!
Retreats involved: All Spicers Retreats
Envirochill
At EnviroChill, they offer an all-encompassing service, which includes implementing cold room temperature monitoring equipment.
They are focused on reducing waste in kitchens which includes tracking the performance of refrigeration to reduce energy costs, early warning systems to prevent food waste in the event of equipment breakdowns, and maximising food quality and shelf life.
Retreats involved: Spicers Hidden Vale
Gem Energy
GEM Energy provides quality solar solutions for homes and businesses across Australia. Solar energy is a good alternative to replace fossil fuel as the major energy source because solar power is renewable at absolutely no cost to supply energy infinitely.
Also world pollution is getting worse. Any effort that can reduce the pollution to the environment helps to save the earth. Solar panels are able to harness the energy from the sun and convert it to electricity.
Retreats involved: Spicers Retreats Head Office
Hive & Harvest
Hive & Harvest produce raw urban honey in Brisbane from local flora. There are no additives, unprocessed, and unchanged – from hive to home. Established in 2015, Hive & Harvest started with an interest in backyard beekeeping and the benefits bees can provide to the local environment. It is widely known we are facing a worldwide decline in bee numbers, and the value of bees and other wild pollinators is well established. They believe that small actions can make big changes and each of us has a part to play in conservation. They’re inspired by the concept of beekeeping in urban environments, and are proud to be bringing green spaces into the city with the help of businesses and individuals who are looking for an opportunity to improve their sustainability effort, and to enjoy the rewards of playing host to honey bee hives.
Retreats involved: Spicers Balfour Hotel
Koko Coffee Roasters
KoKo Coffee Roasters is a boutique coffee roaster, wholesaler and retail outlet based in Mermaid Beach, Queensland. They have customised Spicers own coffee blend ‘THE GLOSSY BLACK’ which brings in the taste and aroma characteristics that Spicers is renowned for; star anise, cardamon, vanilla, cinnamon & orange peel to name a few.
The Glossy Black coffee brand has been developed for one primary purpose and that is to raise awareness and protect the habitat and breeding grounds of the rare Glossy Black Cockatoo. The Glossy Blacks habitat is found throughout south east Queensland and on the 18,000 acres of nature refuge the Spicers landholders currently hold.
Money raised by the sale of coffee will go towards growing awareness and protecting and rehabilitating their habitat. This not only protects the Glossy Black Cockatoo but many other species of fauna and flora found within this majestic country side.
Visit KoKo Coffee Roasters website
Retreats involved: All Spicers Retreats
Rizeup
Community-driven organisation RizeUp, provides practical assistance and support to families affected by domestic and family violence. One of its services involves decking out temporary housing with bedding, white goods and food for families. At Spicers Retreats we donate our furniture and bedlinen to support the charity.
Retreats involved: All QLD Retreats
Smile IT
SmileIT is an IT solutions company who repurpose any e-waste and donate the failing parts to Substation33. Substation33 specialises in electronic waste collection and processing and diverting e-waste from landfill.
Smile IT also has a program where they re-image some of the old laptops from their customers and donate it to Edubuntu Software. This is a free education software operating system with built-in educational games. These laptops then go to the owner of Smile IT’s family in Zimbabwe who give them to disadvantaged schools in the area.
There is is an opportunity for IT to transform today’s businesses into more efficient and sustainable enterprises. This approach to sustainability is why Spicers chooses to partner with Smile IT.
Retreats involved: All Spicers Retreats
Soap Aid
Soap Aid is a not-for-profit organisation committed to saving children’s lives through improved hygiene while positively impacting the environment. They collect, sort, clean and reprocess hotel soap into fresh, hygienic soap bars for distribution to targeted communities around the world.
Globally, travellers and hotels throw away an estimated five million bars of unused soap every day which end up in landfill directly affecting our precious environment. More than two billion people across the world lack adequate sanitation causing the spread of infectious diseases and hygiene-related deaths.
Retreats involved: All Spicers Retreats
Tesla
Spicers Retreats have Tesla recharge stations to allow guests to recharge their batteries as well as their car. Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.
Retreats involved: Spicers Tamarind Retreat, Spicers Peak Lodge, Spicers Hidden Vale and Spicers Guesthouse
Closed Loop Recycling
Closed Loop is an Australian company with more than 17 years experience providing comprehensive environmental solutions across industries including aviation, hospitality and health. At Spicers Retreats we use the Closed Loops’ fantastic food composter at four of our retreats and they dehydrate the food scraps and create a nutritious compost that we have our local farmers pickup to use on their farms.
This food composter is called CLOey and it is the ultimate food waste composter, enabling us to convert our food waste into nutrient rich compost in only 24 hours. It allows for easy and odour-free composting. The units decompose and homogenise food organic waste in an aerobic environment using controlled temperatures, agitation, airflow and organic starter material. All you have to do is add food and organic waste throughout the day, including fruit, vegetables, grains, dairy, meat, fish, poultry, eggshells, crustacean shells and liquid.
This compost is then used on our own gardens or given away to local community gardens.
Retreats involved: Spicers Balfour Hotel, Spicers Clovelly Estate, Spicers Potts Point and Spicers Sangoma Retreat.
Hawke's Brewing Co
Bob Hawke is passionate about many things, one of them being the sustainable management of our spectacular and diverse natural environment. In fact in 1989, Bob helped turn a once small rural initiative into what’s become Australia’s largest environmentally-focused movement – Landcare. That’s why Hawke’s Brewing Co. is proud to announce its partnership with Landcare Australia. With every drop of Hawke’s sold it is helping to support the rural communities who do such an amazing job looking after the land that grows our all-Australian ingredients. Bob is so passionate about this partnership that he’s foregoing all financial benefit from Hawke’s Brewing Co., and passing it on as donations to Landcare Australia.
Spicers Retreats is proud to partner with Hawke’s Brewing Co by stocking their beer at all of our retreats.
Visit the Hawke’s Brewing Co website
Retreats involved: All Spicers Retreats
Noosa Earth
Noosa Earth is an urban mushroom farm in Noosaville, on the beautiful Sunshine Coast, Queensland.
Birthed out of a desire to create a great community for all those they are involved with, Noosa Earth’s driving purpose is to impact people positively through reducing food miles. They strive to grasp the opportunities that allow us to impact each set of hands in the journey of local food.
At Spicers Retreats we work with Noosa Earth by giving them our coffee grinds and they use it to grow their mushrooms. We then purchase mushrooms back from Noosa Earth.
Retreats involved: Spicers Clovelly Estate and Spicers Tamarind Retreat
Northern Light Candle Company
The Northern Light Candle Company’s organic beeswax candles are made from some of the finest organic beeswax in the world, all Australian beeswax. They have the safest fume rating of any candlelight, are entirely produced in Australia and are the most sought after beeswax candles around the globe. The precious beeswax used, is free from such things as chlorine, paraffin, paints or decorations, palm oil, soy oil, inks or any hazardous ingredient. The Northern Light Candle Company care for living creatures and have a long standing relationship with bees.
At Spicers Retreats we use Northern Light Candle Company organic beeswax candles throughout our retreats.
Visit the Northern Light website
Retreats involved: Spicers Clovelly Estate and Spicers Sangoma Retreat
Bin Trim
At Spicers we work with the Bin Trim program through New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) which provides free help and support to NSW businesses to maximise their recycling and minimise their waste to landfill.
NSW businesses send more than 1.8 million tonnes of business waste to landfill each year. More than 70% of this could be reused or recycled. Reducing waste sent to landfill has environmental and economic benefits for everyone.
This also helps the retreat save time and money, while caring for the environment.
Retreats involved: All NSW Retreats
The Good Fish Project
The Good Fish Project was developed to arm chefs and food businesses with the tools necessary to chart their own course towards developing a sustainable seafood sourcing policy for their restaurant.
Australia’s restaurant and catering industry can have a huge influence on the seafood supply chain. By serving sustainable seafood, industry professionals can use their powers for good, and make a real difference to the way we produce seafood. Healthy oceans with abundant fish stocks are in all of our interests so we can enjoy fantastic quality seafood for generations to come.
At Spicers Retreats we are working with the Good Fish Project to address menu issues and find excellent, sustainable replacements that work for our unique restaurants and for the oceans.
Visit the Good Fish Project website
Retreats involved: All Retreats
The Jam Alchemist
The Jam Alchemist is a small Sydney based artisan jam producer using sustainably farmed, local, (sometimes wild and foraged) produce. Their flavours are based around seasonal availability, instinctively pairing fruit with herbs and spices in unusual, unexpected ways. Lower in sugar than most commercial jams, every jar is made in small batches entirely by hand in their Sydney kitchen to maintain a deeply authentic taste. They operate a zero waste business and as lovers of imperfect “ugly” fruit they are working with farmers to help divert food waste and are proud to be a Business Partner of the EPA’s Love Food Hate Waste program.
Visit The Jam Alchemist website
Retreats involved: Spicers Potts Point
Wayside Chapel
Spicers Potts Point get their compost picked up from their composting machine by Wayside Chapel which they use in their rooftop garden. In return Wayside provide eatable flowers for Spicers Potts Point breakfast dishes.
Wayside Chapel provides support to the people that live on the streets of Sydney.
Visit the Wayside Chapel website
Retreats involved: Spicers Potts Point
