Sustainability
Blackwattle is committed to improving the performance of our operations to minimise the impact of our activities on the environment. We are committed to:
- increasing the use of renewable and clean energy sources
- recycling everywhere possible
- eliminating waste and pollution using careful and considered management practices
- improving management of waste streams including reducing the amount of water used across the farm
- continually improving the sustainability of our operations by assessing the impact of existing practices, identifying new opportunities, and evaluating our sustainability goals
- making our customers, suppliers, and distributors aware of our sustainability practices and encourage sustainable management practice adoption and learning
- complying with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements
Our Mission Statement: Our mission is to be socially responsible and sustainable to preserve a livable environment.
What we have done:
- With help from Greening Australia, we have planted over 1000 trees to create a ‘green belt’ and ‘tree pods’. Using trees and shrubs native to this area, the green belt and pods has provided a safe haven for native birds and insects, as well as wind blocks and shade for our livestock.
- Water is one of our highest consumption commodities across our farm. To help us manage our water usage, we have installed nine rainwater collection tanks on our farm. In addition to rainwater, we have access to and use clean fresh bore water, accessed from our private bore. This water is used to maintain our lawns, paddocks and gardens, in addition to watering our livestock. We also have a large dam on our property which is used by our livestock.
- Waste water from our Dye Studio (located in our Farm Shop) is treated by a custom made PH Unit before being pumped into our onsite septic system. This grey water is then used to water a tree line and livestock paddocks.
- LED lighting has been installed in our Farm Shop, reducing our electrical impact and footprint.
- Solar panels have been installed on our house, to increase our power collection for the farm.
- Food waste, generated from our onsite cafe, is given to our flock of chickens, who in return produce eggs that we use in our cafe.
- Fibre collected each year, from our alpacas and llamas, is either processed into yarn, used as pet beds or used as mulch material across our farms’ garden beds – no fibre is dumped into landfill!