‘Rescued food’ helps save people and planet

With inspiration, a little can go a long way – both for the dinner table and for our Sunshine Coast Biosphere.

And BiospHERO Day is back to provide that inspiration, offering a fun-filled day celebrating sustainable living in our Sunshine Coast Biosphere.

This year, the BiospHERO Day festivities are at Gateway Care in Caloundra West, with stalls, live entertainment, a speaker program, face painting, activities for the young and young at heart, the return of the popular smoothie bike and much more.

Save the date

• When: Saturday, November 2, 10am-2pm
• Where: Gateway Care, 11 Helen Street, Caloundra West
• Bring: Reusable cup, cutlery, water bottle, sunscreen and sun-safe wear.
• Booking: Register for this free event online

This event is delivered by Sunshine Coast Council in partnership with Gateway Care, contributing to the Sunshine Coast Biosphere.

Food for everyone

Gateway Care is a social enterprise that collects more than 40 tonnes of edible food every year from supermarkets, farmers and retailers, that would otherwise go to landfill.

It then offers that food at low cost to the community.

Gateway Care HR Compliance Manager Bonnie Scorey said helping people in the community was incredibly rewarding.

“When you’re there in the moment with a single mum and her children, a single dad, or a pensioner that couldn’t afford to put food on their table and we’re giving them free bread and access to low-cost groceries, that feeling is incredible,” Ms Scorey said.

“I’m really privileged and honoured to be able to do what I do.”

Caring for our community and reducing food waste are major focuses for this year’s BiospHERO Day.

Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said the event, previously held in Maroochydore, would come to Caloundra West for its second year to showcase new biosphere champions to more people in the community.

“Living in our Sunshine Coast Biosphere is about celebrating people and nature, and to me, this means belonging to a thriving community,” Mayor Natoli said.

“In that spirit, we have fun for the whole family and inspiration for our future, marking International Day for Biosphere Reserves.”

Making use of what we have

When green waste like food goes to landfill, it breaks down without any oxygen and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.

Finding creative ways to reduce waste is part of Gateway’s ethos.

“If we have any food that comes in that’s not edible, we have farmers who come up to our back dock every day, and they take it for their animals – so zero waste,” Ms Scorey said.

Positive change in our Sunshine Coast Biosphere

Our region is designated as an international UNESCO Biosphere, recognised as a place where people are working towards a sustainable future.

Social issues, the economy and the environment all have an impact on our lives, and Gateway Care acts for positive change on all three fronts.

Ms Scorey said as Gateway Care evolved from its original bread collection service to the integrated organisation it had become, the team had a greater understanding of what they were achieving.

“Even our team, they didn’t know what the Biosphere was, they didn’t know what circular economy was, they didn’t know what environmental sustainability was, but we’re talking about those things now,” she said.

“It’s a new language, we’re learning about it, and we’re getting passionate about it.”

It’s of increasing importance as families look for ways to keep food on the table.

“The rising cost of living is at an absolute crisis point at the moment, so we’re at the busiest we’ve ever been.

“We buy about 85 per cent of what we have at Gateway, so it’s been a struggle for us too.”