Melbourne-based coffee recycling social enterprise Reground has won the 2022 Melbourne Award for Sustainability.
Australia’s first ground coffee collection service, Reground collects used coffee from more than 250 Melbourne businesses, and donates it to the local community for a variety of uses.
The group also collects soft plastics as a single stream, and works on various waste and resource recovery projects.
Reground recently teamed up with Major Road Projects Victoria to provide coffee grounds for landscaping on the Childs Road Upgrade project in Melbourne’s north. The social enterprise provided 60 cubic metres of coffee grounds, which was incorporated with topsoil to boost nutrient levels and assist the growth of seeds and seedlings.
Fiona Parsons, Reground Communications Manager, said the award was a big win for the Reground team and its support network.
“As an impact-driven social enterprise, receiving the Melbourne Award for Sustainability is a really meaningful achievement for us and our community,” she said.
“It reflects a growing cultural awareness of the importance of waste and, in particular, our work actively redesigning waste systems to retain valuable resources, minimise landfill and grow the circular economy.”
The Melbourne Awards – now in its 20th year – celebrates organisations and individuals from Melbourne who dedicate their time and energy to the betterment of the city.
This year, Kuku Yalanji woman and Djirra Chief Executive Officer Antoinette Braybrook made history as the first Aboriginal woman to be awarded Melburnian of the Year.
For more on the Melbourne Awards, including the full list of winners, visit: www.melbourne.vic.gov.au
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