4S: Sustainable & Social Suppliers' Stories
ULU HYE
Around the world we’re seeing more and more innovative companies design products with sustainability front of mind, like dropps, that creates laundry pods from dye-free plant-powered detergent.
Now, in Australia, the team at Ulu Hye (pronounced ‘ooh-loo hi’) have found an innovative way to create 10 litres of plant-based milk from a jar of paste that fits in your back pocket and has no consequences on our planet.
ULU HYE, WHO’S THAT?
Co-founders Heidi Peuten and Vasia Vogias established Ulu Hye, a company that produces homemade nut milk, with a mission to simultaneously provide a plant-based alternative to milk and reduce the impact of those unrecycled, single-use containers sent to landfill.
Heidi Peuten and Vasia Vogias — Co-founders of Ulu Hye
We all love milk; it has played a strong role in the Australian diet since day dot. In fact, Australia produced more than 9 billion litres in 2020.
PROVIDING AN EXTRA HAND TO RECYCLING
Luckily, almost 90% of carton boxes are recycled and repurposed in Australia every year.
Even better, having alternatives to single use containers is a great way to reduce the logistic costs that recycling has, and to prevent unrecycled containers sent to landfill.
While endlessly trying to move to a minimal waste lifestyle, Heidi Peuten and Vasia Vogias, noticed one item always filling up their rubbish bins: milk cartons. They hit a roadblock when making their own milks at home became too difficult and time-consuming with both of them working full-time. They just couldn’t avoid their ongoing use of cartons and milk waste - they knew there had to be another way.
In 2017, they teamed up with a food scientist and found a niche gap in the market. Later that year, they launched a world-first product: Mylk Bases, creating a brand-new category in the FMCG industry with a range of four innovative milk base varieties: Almond; Hazelnut; Hemp and Mixed Nut.
PLANT-BASED MILK: A GROWING MARKET
Almost 1 out of 10 Australians go for a plant-based alternative to milk on a daily basis.
Australia is witnessing significant growth in the plant-based milk alternatives market, with more than 2 million Australians identifying as either vegetarian or vegan, and a market estimated value of A$230 million.
AN INNOVATIVE ALTERNATIVE
The product is simple: their nut milk base comes in reusable glass jars in the form of a paste.
The process? Add 2 tablespoons with a litre of water and blend for 1 minute, done! You only need to make the amount of milk that you need each time.
One jar produces 10 litres of plant-based milk, reducing landfill by 10 cartons.
Ulu Hye has already prevented over 500,000 cartons from entering landfill and thousands of litres of milk from going down the drain.
“Ulu Hye empowers people to decide how they like their milk, the quantity desired, and how often. Gone are the days when you have to empty out a carton that hasn’t been used up in time” said co-founder, Vasia Vogias.
HOW CAN YOU INCLUDE ULU HYE IN YOUR DAY-TO-DAY BUSINESS?
If you are in charge of stocking your office fridge and pantry, contact Ulu Hye below to see how they can help you make the change:
Website: www.uluhye.com.au
Email: info@uluhye.com.au
By supporting Ulu Hye, you are taking one small step towards reducing your waste, as well as reducing the amount of long-life cartons ending up in landfill. Take a stand and make a positive change on our environment by switching how you consume your milk at home or in the office (or in your home office!).
A NEW ECOSYSTEM FOR SUSTAINABLE AND SOCIAL SUPPLIERS
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