Green Business Networking Events
Join us for our 2020 Building Business Resilience through Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Green Business Networking event on 3 December from 2-4 pm. At this event you will hear from local businesses, 3 Ravens, Charles Sandford & McKay Joinery and CERES Fair Food , all of whom are building their business resilience by saving money through reducing their energy use and bills. You will also hear from Jon Fettes of Regenerate Engineering who will talk about how you can take advantage of the opportunities to purchase renewable energy and offsets to move your business towards zero carbon.
Register for this FREE event here.
The Green Business Network meets bi-annually. At least one of these events is held within a local business that showcases their sustainable actions and initiatives. It is a chance to network, share ideas, inspiration and resources. Sign up for our Business ENews monthly newsletter to keep informed about future events and details.
CERES Fair Food hosted our last Green Business networking event in November 2019. If you missed this event, don't worry, you can find out about some of the great sustainability actions CERES Fair Food and Fair Wood have been undertaking by watching this great video.
Light$mart - Free LED lighting upgrades for Darebin businesses and organisations (conditions apply)
All businesses in Darebin are now able to apply for our Light$mart program, which offers a free or subsidised LED lighting upgrade to local businesses and organisations (conditions apply). So far over 250 Darebin businesses/organisations have been upgraded through this program, saving an average of $420 a year on their electricity bills.
To find out more and register your interest please email business@darebin.vic.gov.au and put 'Light$mart' in your subject heading.
Sustainability Matters 2020 – now a series of online webinars
Watch our 2020 Sustainability Matters webinars here. We have webinars on Solar and Energy Efficiency, Reducing Waste and the Circular Economy.
Sustainability Matters brings the stories of local businesses taking the lead in sustainability to other businesses, residents and interested community members. Through them you will hear about local businesses adopting green practices and cutting their costs, whilst reducing their carbon footprint, waste and often growing their business. Within these webinars you will hear from local businesses A Little Light, CERES Fair Food & Fair Wood, Charles Sandford & McKay Joinery, EnviroShop, Exquisine, Integrated Recycling, Moon Rabbit, Show Works, Suntory (formerly Mocopan), Terra Madre and The Northcote Bakeshop. These webinars also include the work of local artists Maria Coviello and Bec James and live sketching from Mathew Magain of Sketch Group.
Our Sustainability Matters webinars were proudly sponsored by the Victorian State Government in 2020.
If you would like to be kept informed about future Sustainability Matters and Sustainable Business events sign up to our Business ENews monthly newsletter.
To view the individual stories of speakers and panel members from this year and previous years go to our Sustainable Business Playlist on the CityofDarebin YouTube page.
Local Sustainability Business Leaders
Many businesses in Darebin are taking a lead in terms of environmental sustainability. Be inspired and learn more about they are taking incremental steps to reduce their impact on the environment, reduce their carbon emissions whilst gaining local support in the process, through viewing these 10 Sustainable Business Leader videos.
1. A Little Light
2. CERES Fair Food & CERES Fair Wood
3. Charles Sandford & McKay Joinery
4. Exquisine
5. Fairfield Phyisotherapy
6. Moon Rabbit
7. Shiny Embroidery
8. Show Works
9. Terra Madre
10. The Northcote Bakeshop
Business Recycling Bins
We offer a fortnightly Business Recycling Service for a one-off fee of $96.00 per 240 litre bin, with a maximum of two bins available. All items recyclable in the Darebin residential recycling bins are accepted. To find out what you can put in your business recycling bin go to What can go in my recycling bin?.
To order your business recycling bin(s) go to www.darebin.vic.gov.au/Recycling
Business Organic Waste Recycling
There are a number of options available to Darebin businesses for recycling organic waste; some of these are outlined here. Options include: recycling your organic waste via on-site worm farms, participating in a range of community schemes like sharewaste in which local residents and customers may come and collect some or all of your organic waste and setting up an organic waste collection service with a private contractor.
For local cafes you might be interested in participating in our Cafe to Garden program that links you to customers and residents that will pick up your coffee grounds. We currently have 13 local cafes participating in this program, to find out who they are go to www.darebinfoodharvestnetwork.org.au/cafetogarden
If you are interested in starting to recycle your organics, or if you are already doing it and we don't know, drop us a line at business@darebin.vic.gov.au
The Circular Economy and Sustainable Purchasing
More and more businesses are making the shift from a Take -> Make -> Waste model to the Borrow -> Use -> Return -> model of the circular economy. Watch our short video or longer webinar on what some Darebin businesses are doing in this space.
Participating in the Circular Economy requires us to be purchasing products that are made from reused and recycled materials. Sustainability Victoria has released their Buy Recycled Directory to make it easier to make purchasing decisions that support the circular economy.
Business Darebin Solar Bulk Buy Program
Take advantage of great prices, good quality products and installers by participating our Darebin Solar Bulk Buy program to put solar on your rooftop. Register your interest in the Solar Bulk Buy program at www.darebin.vic.gov.au/solar
Environmental Upgrade Agreements for Darebin businesses
For businesses interested in installing large solar system or undertaking energy efficiency upgrades, we can help you to source funding to achieve this through an Environmental Upgrade Agreement. Watch this short video to find out more about what an Environmental Upgrade Agreement is and how it works. Register your interest in an Environmental Upgrade at www.darebin.vic.gov.au/solar
Sustainable Leaders in Manufacturing - Building Business Resilience by reducing costs
Join our SLIM (Sustainable Leaders in Manufacturing) program by emailing us at business@darebin.vic.gov.au.
We are working with over 30 local manufacturers to help them reduce their energy usage, greenhouse gas emissions and waste. Through their participation in SLIM all these businesses have saved thousands of dollars through making changes to help their businesses be more environmentally sustainable.
All our SLIM businesses have installed LED lighting, many have installed solar, some have formed industrial ecology business partnerships to turn their waste into a resource for others, and all have reduced their waste going to landfill.
We are also looking for businesses interested in accessing a highly subsidised Energy & Materials solutions assessment. If you are a local manufacturer and are interested in getting support to save money and reduce your energy usage, greenhouse gas emissions and waste and interested in connecting with other sustainable leaders in manufacturing email business@darebin.vic.gov.au or call 8470 8550.
Free timers for non-perishable drinks fridges
If you have fridges that contain non-perishable items, you could be saving between $400 - $500 a year by switching them off when your business is closed. We are offering food and beverage businesses free fridge timers as part of our Darebin Fridge Timer Program to reduce electricity consumption.
To request a timer for your business email business@darebin.vic.gov.auor call 8470 8888.
Free bike racks for customer parking
Council is committed to encouraging green travel and will install a free bicycle parking hoop as part of our Bicycle Racks for Businesses program outside eligible local businesses.
To find out if your business meets the eligibility criteria for safety and accessibility please complete our online form and a transport officer will contact you.
Green Business Directory
If your business sells ‘green’ products or services, or is actively working to reduce energy consumption, water usage and waste you may be eligible to be listed on our Green Business Directory.
Over 220 businesses, including cafes, accountants, retail shops, osteopaths, mechanics, solar power installers, manufacturers and more are listed on the Darebin Green Business Directory. These businesses are working to operate more sustainably and/or offering ‘green’ products and services that help reduce environmental impact. Why not think about doing business with them!
To find out more email business@darebin.vic.gov.au or call 8470 8888.
"We are Greening our Business" stickers and certificates
Does your business/organisation have solar, or are you recycling and working to reduce energy consumption, water usage and waste? If so, do you have your ‘We are Greening our Business’ sticker and are you listed and promoted in our Darebin Green Business Directory?
The ‘We are Greening our Business’ stickers and certificates have been developed to:
- recognise, celebrate and make visible to your customers, staff and supply chain the effort you are making to reduce your environmental impact, and
- help you identify further sustainability actions your business can take.
If you have taken action to reduce your environmental footprint and would like to participate in the program, email business@darebin.vic.gov.au or call 8470 8888. To find out which businesses in Darebin have a 'We are Greening our Business' sticker go to our Darebin Green Business Directory.
VIC Bag Ban
Lightweight plastic shopping bags are now banned in Victoria. This ban was brought in by the Victorian State Government in November 2019. For details regarding the type of bags that are banned and those that are allowed go to www.vicbagban.com.au or call 1800 817 723.
We can all make small changes within our business to reduce waste and our use of single use plastics. For retail, cafes, restaurants and food vendors alike, educating our customers and clients on the use of sustainable programs including Boomerang Bags , Retub, Trashless Takeaway and Responsible Cafes is a great place to start.
Remember though, food businesses have legal responsibilities to ensure all food is safe to consume. This includes ensuring that food is served in containers that are fit for purpose and have been cleaned and sanitised. To find out more, go to our Food Safety webpage, or watch our video on Cleanliness.
Other places to go for help on your sustainability journey
You can get support from other local businesses and find out about a range of sustainable business programs on the Darebin Business Zero Waste Network Facebook Group.
The following websites also offer some great tips and resources:
The following books are also inspirational and great reads:
The following movies are also inspirational and if you are interested in sustainability great films to view:
Further information:
Sustainable Business Officer
Phone: 8470 8550
Email: business@darebin.vic.gov.au