Zero Waste Cafe in Hardware Lane

I had heard about 'Zero waste cafe" in Melbourne about 3 months ago since I had been working at ECC NSW. One of my collegue, Pilar Angon she has visited this cafe and told me how awesome and cool they are.

I made my way down to Hardware lane this arvo with a friend of mine, we were talking about all clothes and designed, but we were both thirsty for a beverage, we didn't feel like to hit to the usual cafe and we decided to try this place.

It isn't so hard to find the place with its address 123 Hardware street Melbourne. However, I was in surprise that the cafe isn't named "zero waste" as people talk about. It is actually called "Silo by Joost".

http://www.tourism.vic.gov.au/piecesofvictoria/august_2012/index.php?page=melbourne_wining_and_dining_hotspots6 - you can find tourism victoria has written for Silo by Joost here.

The place is quite light-ful with big windows, a long tall-table with chairs are upcycled from a big gas bottle (I don't know how you call it but it looks like a beer gas chunk we usually see in the pub) with a piece of wood (as the chair seat).

The table is long and big enough for up to 10 people who can sit in 2 rows parallel oppositely. Interesting, the other side of the table where I sat, is actually next to the kitchen where the staff can make juice and prepare the food.

Zero waste means they don't have a rubbish bin. And without asking for that information, I have been told when my friend left a bottle of lemonade on the table, she had to leave for work that they don't have a bin so they could not disposable the bottle. I wouldn't make it too hard for them to deal with a single bottle so I took it with me.

The tea was served nicely in a tall glass and a glass pot, my friend has a freshly squeeze organe juice with a bit of pink-grape fruit. We didn't have a chance to try their coffee as my coffee addiction would not be able to carry more than 2 cups of latte within 4 hours. Melbourne coffee surely is strongly than Sydney one (which I have suffered from drinking Sydney coffee for the last year before moving back here and still adjusting to the favour. I remembered in 1 year prior my move to Sydney, I could have up to 3 cups of coffee continually without a problem.).

I will definitely go back there again so I can spot out their nicely arrange cupboard on the wall, fancy cakes they have at the window and check out their no-waste eco-friendly breakfast/lunch or dinner..

The place is so cosy and I would recommend for someone who would like to check out the behind bar work, you can just sit close to the dish-washing machine and see how gentle they do their dish-washing. Nevertheless, you can share your own recipes to the staff how to do a homemade beverage (well just to let you know they already have home-made lemonade!!). Need only to remember that do not bring any waste into the cafe.

I will absolutely be back another time to explore this place better and tell you more about Joost vertical garden. If you like to check out Joost's work, click here to his website http://byjoost.com/silo/

P/s: All the information are written on my personal opinions and the links are collected through the internet. English is my second language. I only knew a few words and keep counting.

;)