On Tuesday July 1st Switch Your Thinking was thrilled to be able to enjoy the beautiful scenic drive up into the Mundaring hills to present the latest Switched on Business Award to Wasteless Pantry – Mundaring. This small company, which is co-owned by Jeannie Richards and Amanda Welschbilling has delivered two zero waste concept stores to the residents of Mundaring and Bassendean. The Mundaring store has been in operation since 2015.
The focus of the business is to sell bulk, package-free pantry staples and reusable alternatives to disposable items. Customers are encouraged to bring their own containers and bags and have the option to fill these with a wide range of products including nuts, spices, dried fruits, coffee beans, oils and vinegars.
In 2024 Wasteless Pantry has been able to achieve the following outcomes…
- 597 refillable food/cleaning and beauty options now available in store.
- 60% of all in store products are Australian Made.
- 19% are sourced directly from Western Australia.
- 26,722 refillable containers were used in 2024 alone.
- 174kg of disposable packaging and items (medicine blister packs, oral care, disposable razors, beauty packaging and ink cartridges) were diverted from landfill and recycled in 2024.
In her speech at the event Shire of Mundaring President Page McNeil was keen to acknowledge the hard work and dedication the Wasteless Pantry team.
“Over the past ten years, Wasteless Pantry has become a remarkable local success story providing our community with the opportunity to shop package-free and make environmentally conscious choices,” she said.
“Together, we’ve refilled more than 600,000 containers and diverted hard-to-recycle items from landfill – a powerful reminder of what’s possible when sustainability becomes part of our everyday lives.”
“Congratulations and thanks to Amanda, Jeannie, and the team for their unwavering commitment to the circular economy and waste education. We’re incredibly proud to have this inspiring business in Mundaring, making sustainability both impactful and accessible for all.”
The full Media release from the Shire of Mundaring can be viewed here:
The stores are not just somewhere that people come to buy food staples, they are a community hub where residents can post ideas on ways to reduce on packaging waste or share home made recipe ideas. Mayor Ruth Butterfield from the City of Armadale who is also the Chairperson of the South East Regional Energy Group (SEREG), which is the governing body in charge of the Switch Your Thinking Program, was very keen to acknowledge the impact that Wasteless Pantry has has on altering community perceptions towards waste, as well as emphasising the success of this model of food distribution.
Once again Switch Your Thinking would like to acknowledge Wasteless Pantry and acknowledge the hard work of all involved in making it such a success.
