We all know that plastic is fast becoming old news - it does more nasty than good. But the good news is that over 100 Noosa businesses are on their way to becoming Plastic Free Champions and are eliminating the six most common single-use plastics for good. Many of our fabulous cafes, restaurants, and bars have already said bye-bye to plastic!
In addition to this booming plastic-free trend, Noosa has also made a Zero Emissions pledge with many businesses choosing to offset carbon emissions, including our two biggest breweries.
So, on your next Noosa visit, why not support these champions doing Plastic Free and Zero Emissions, oh so well? To get you started we've pulled out our top 6 must-visit folk keeping Noosa a beautiful and more sustainable place!
The team at VanillaFood are all about making yummy food that is healthy both for you and our environment. Their produce is (where possible) sourced from their own garden or from local suppliers. So when visiting this hub of yum, prepare to feed your body all the good stuff. No preservatives, additives, refined sugar or artificial flavours here folks!
If you're on the go, BYO travel mug for a small discount, but we totally recommend hanging here for a while because those buckwheat waffles are to die for.
Photo @vanillafood
Embassy XO is an award-winning modern Asian restaurant and wine bar in the heart of Sunshine Beach. The team are so passionate about sustainability, they not only made their restaurant plastic-free, but also their two XO bottle shops and pop-up XO market stalls. Plus, they are Plastic Free Champions 4 times over!
Raw Energy is the place to be for early risers. Post morning beach stroll along Peregian Beach, kick back with a coffee at this dog-friendly joint. These guys take plastic-free seriously and want to share this message with their customers.
Local Tip: If you're on the hunt for a piece of Noosa to take home, they're big supporters of local hinterland business Pottery for the Planet, selling their beautiful sustainable and hand-made ceramic travel cups!
Photos @rawenergyperegian
Attention health nuts, this spot, hidden in Noosa Junction is not only trending as Australia's first gut health bar, but it's also a plastic-free wonderland - proving that creating delicious good-for-the-gut food is not only about feeling healthy from the inside out, but is also about supporting the purity of our surrounds. The team believes that supporting plastic-free practices is NON-NEGOTIABLE - because there is no other way and there is no PLANET B!
The crew at Land & Sea Brewery are doing all sorts of good. These guys were Noosa’s first micro craft brewery and serve up a unique selection of refreshing beers, distilled spirits and made-from-scratch meals and snacks.
They aim to be as carbon neutral as possible and are constantly devising new ways to minimise their environmental impact – their brewhouse is entirely powered through in-house solar and a water tank is used for their irrigation system. Malted barley waste from the brewing production is transformed into sourdough and bread rolls by a local baker just 50 metres down the road, and a local farmer by the name of "Al" feeds his cattle with it.
Talk about legends!
Tucked away just off the Noosa River in Noosaville, Mr Jones and Me hits the perfect mix between casual and sophisticated dining time and time again. Plus they are one of Noosa’s more recent Plastic Free Champions and have replaced single-use plastics with biodegradable straws, coffee cups and lids, and now serve their guilty pleasure hot chocolates with wooden Paddle Pop sticks.
Photo @mrjonesandmenoosa
Heads of Noosa Brewery jumped at the chance to be involved in Noosa's Zero Emissions initiative, and decided that utilising the sunshine that gives our wider region its name would be a great place to start. So, they recently installed 300 solar panels on their brewery roof to see them cover up to 60% of the power used for production with renewable energy. The panels are estimated to produce enough to offset over 140,000 kilos of carbon dioxide.
Check out Noosa's Eco Initiatives or more on Plastic Free Noosa and Zero Emissions Noosa.
