From little things big things grow.
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These words reflect the Burrawang General Store's attitude to waste reduction, as it takes steps to be a more eco-friendly business.
The general store team has introduced sustainability initiatives to reduce its environmental footprint and increase savings.
The new measures come as businesses are experiencing downturn due to the recent bushfires and flooding.
The general store team initiated its new eco-friendly policies during a quiet period in January.
The chefs now have a stronger focus on correct meal sizes to combat plate waste.
They use buckets to store uneaten and expired food, as well as peelings collected during meal preparation.
This allows the team to see exactly how much food is being wasted.
Owner Erica Leeming said she aimed to introduce more initiatives throughout the year.
"When I was growing up I was taught not to waste anything," Ms Leeming said.
"For example, mum used to cut plastic bags into long, continuous strips and crochet them into sun hats. She'd sell them at church fetes.
"We used to have crop swaps at church, everything you had extra would go into it. It's come full circle now."
These days Ms Leeming spends a lot of time with her "head in the bins" to check how much waste her business produces.
"We've taken maybe more than 100 kilos out of every bin pick-up. Our goal is to get lower and lower," she said.
She said she has also bought a year's worth of recycled paper to use for menus from money refunded through Return and Earn.
The team has also embraced permaculture, and has started to grow its own food in order to make items such as jams from scratch.
Other initiatives include the use of solar panels, the re-purposing of UHT containers as cup trays, the use of paper straws, and the collection of coffee grounds, milk bottle caps and metal caps for special re-purposing.
The general store encourages customers to be mindful of their waste, with 50 cents off every takeaway coffee if they bring a keep cup.
Ms Leeming encouraged other businesses to start small and cut back on waste where they could.
"In the food business you do have options," she said.
"I don't think every business could be as thorough. We are particularly fortunate in that we do have a garden."
The zero waste targets are in line with advice from the Restaurant and Catering Industry Association of Australia.
