Leif Products
To reduce our use of plastic across our retreats we are rolling out Leif Products of hand wash, hand lotion, body wash, shampoo and conditioner. Instead of using miniature bottles all retreats use large refillable containers. Leif is created in Australia from native floras like Buddha Wood, Lillypilly, Kakadu Plum and Desert Lime. All products are 100 per cent vegan and cruelty free.
Visit the Leif Products website
Retreats involved: Rolling out across all Spicers Retreats
Business Chamber Queensland ecoBiz
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
Turner Family Foundation
The Turner Family Foundation’s environmental vision is to build a commitment to the conservation, management and sustainable use of land that extends for generations.
The Turners have a passion for Australia’s flora and fauna, and the Turner Family Foundation is their vehicle to promote positive environmental outcomes.
The Turner Family Foundation believes that a deeper affinity with the natural environment is established, developed and appreciated by experiencing nature.
The Foundation seeks to nurture a love of Australia’s natural wonders through ecotourism ventures including the Scenic Rim Trail.Â
See more valued partners below
Closed Loop
Closed Loop is an Australian company with more than 17Â 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 and Spicers Potts Point
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.
Visit the GEM Energy website | Learn more about our eco camps solar and battery system here
Retreats involved: Spicers Retreats Head Office, Spicer Amphitheatre Eco Camp and Timber Getters Eco Camp
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
Perfect Potion
Perfect Potion products are used at our eco camps for bathroom amenities. Their products contain no phosphates or nitrates and a vegan friendly and cruelty free.
Visit the Perfect Potion website
Retreats involved: Spicers Amphitheatre Eco Camp and Timber Getters Eco Camp
Plastic Police®
This program closes the loop on soft plastics and optimises the recovery and utilisation of problematic (non-recycled) soft plastic films into value-added materials and products. The program also provides valuable data on the volume and generation of soft plastic waste and this can inform future initiatives to reduce waste, reduce litter and foster sustainable behaviour change.
Visit the Plastic Police® website
Retreats involved: Spicers Guesthouse & Spicers Vineyards Estate
Replas
All decking from our eco camps is made of Replas (a recycled plastic product), which uses soft plastic wrapping to make the decking. We chose the product for its durability, low maintenance and sustainable credentials. During the construction process we recycled all soft plastic and any offcuts of the decking material was collected and sent it back to Replas at the end of the job to be fed back into their production cycle. A closed-loop approach to building materials.
Retreats involved: Amphitheatre Eco Camp and Timber Getters Eco Camp
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
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 Balfour Hotel, Spicers Peak Lodge, Spicers Hidden Vale and Spicers Guesthouse
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:Â Spicers Potts Point
