Trash Tiki Manifesto
The Family gets together for a zero-waste binge. Little changes and mega ways we can influence the world with our anti-waste efforts.
Trash Tiki is an anti-waste punk pop-up from award-winning London bartenders Kelsey Ramage and Iain Griffiths. The idea is to see how cuisines and cultures waste different flavours by just tossing—rather than using—something that’s perfectly good. They also created a global on-line platform at http://www.trashtikisucks.com/ that’s full of recipes and resources that let the international community see the breadth of potential behind the products we’re wasting every day. It’s a source of inspiration and knowledge that showcases changes modern bars should take on to be more waste-efficient and sustainable.
The point is to show examples of more environtmentally-minded bar programs—while putting a little more fun into the typically dry topic of sustainability. And it seeks to lead by example.
1. Carry a Biodegradable Straw
We know, everyone is yapping about this one. Asking for “no straw” drinks is old-hat. But what about when someone throws down a blended margarita? Come on, sometimes you just want a slushy drink, maybe even with an upside-down Pacífico. When the time comes, whip out a biodegradable, reusable bamboo straw and be the cool kid at the table.
2. End Plastics in Other Life Areas
Bartenders travel a lot. It’s part of the work—and for lots of us, one of the very best perks! But it’s also a time when we’re buying single-use plastics for things like food and water—and it can seem unavoidable. Even depressing—when you remember every piece of plastic we use has another 300 years before bio-degradation.
So we’ve started toting metal water bottles we either fill from a tap, or, barring that, from a larger container, to eliminate buying all those small bottles along the way. Also, use refillable toiletries: your own bar of soap, in a metal container; bamboo toothbrushes, etc.
3.Citrus Stock Saves Time and Money
We finally put it to the test—blindfolded! “Tommy’s Challenge”—a blend of 1:1 citrus stock to fresh lime juice—came out on top. You can do it while you’re juicing, using fewer lime husks to make the stock. Freeze in advance, thaw as needed; half the time, half the money. Believe it or not, we served 1500 drinks (500 of which were maggies) for a music festival with only three cases of limes. Check out the recipe for Citrus Stock.
4. Look Local
So much citrus is imported from far, far away. And whether it’s in season or not, it’s expected everywhere often at just twenty-fours’ notice. It’s been great to see all the amazing fruit that’s available in Mexico, but also have a look at what grows in your “neighborhood”—there might be a great alternative to the ubiquitous lemon and lime. In Melbourne, we used davidson plum—a tiny, super-tart fruit—to replace lime completely in one recipe.
5. Recycle
Who’s still not on board? Make the effort if there’s a place to recycle your glass, metals, or cardboards. Just do it.
6. Refreeze your Hoshizaki or Kold Draft Ice to Use as Block Ice or for Drinking Water
It’s already filtered—you paid good money—so someone else handled the tough part.
7. Composting
The next step up, after recycling. Put a simple system in place—especially if you’re getting second- and third uses from your ingredients. Companies like Bokashi (get the spelling right before you google) make enzymes that reduce decomposition times from six months to four weeks. And it smells nicer, too.
8. Recycling Plastics Is a Nice Thought—But It’s Better to Plastics Altogether
As of 1 January, Chinese recycling facilities stopped accepting plastics from the West. You didn’t know most plastics in North America end up exported? Yep. Think of the fossil fuels it takes to haul them to China, plus whatever falls into the sea on the way. Just say no.
9. To-Go Cups
Those little paper coffee cups are not recyclable. They’re coated in wax or some plastic film that makes recycling impossible. But remember that little spew cup from Wayne’s World? It’s still out there. Grab a keep-cup you like and carry it with you. Ours features the immortal Black Sabbath. Party on, Wayne; party on, Garth.
Bonus Track:
Don’t Forget the Fun
The palaver on this stuff can go ad-nauseum, and the bamboo-toothbrush conversation, 3 am and tight, is a drag. So yes, live your life, have fun. But take a second to think about how you can do it while fucking up the planet just a little bit less.
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Trash Tiki Site
http://www.trashtikisucks.com/