Recycling & Sustainability

At Gelato Messina, we’re quite aware of the impact poor sustainability practices can have on the environment so we're changing the way we do things around here, for the better.

Reusable Tubs & Cups

Let’s start with the one we get asked about most frequently…why can’t our guests use re-usable tubs?

The truth is it’s a slightly grey area. We love the idea of it of course, but we simply don’t have the ability to make the whole process 100% risk free.

We can only use packaging material that is fit for its intended use. Moreover, in order to ensure that re-usable packaging is not contaminated, we would need to wash and sterilise each container every time it comes into our stores. This is unfortunately not feasible and it’s the main reason we do not accept any reusable containers at present. The other more minor issue is standardising volume of takeaway tubs. It would be almost impossible to know.

But it’s not all bad news…read on.

Our Packaging

We’ve been looking for a better solution to styrofoam tubs for years and finally we have one.

We like to think we make some of the highest quality gelato (in the city, if not the world), from the best ingredients we can source, and this also goes for our packaging. Our 0.5L, 1L and 1.5L gelato orders come packed in a Thermotainer™, a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to plastic and foam take-home containers. It is made up of 96% cardboard and has an internal specialised ‘cool’ thermal lining.

Growing Our Own

As a company, we are investing in producing our own ingredients here in Australia. We have our own dairy farm in Numurkah, VIC, our own hazelnut farm in Seymour, VIC, and grow our own strawberries in Dural, NSW.‍

In 2017 we invested in the dairy farm so we could supply our own milk for our gelato. Our 400+ herd of pasture fed jersey cows produce a beautifully creamy milk which we use in all our gelato. It's pasteurised on the farm, and sent to Sydney to be turned into gelato. We run the farms using sustainable and organic practices although we are not certified so.
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In a few years time we hope to harvest enough of our own hazelnuts to make our own paste. We currently import hazelnuts from Cortemilia, Italy, so by growing our own we aim to reduce our transport carbon footprint.

Got any other questions?

If you're curious about any of our other sustainable practices or just want to recommend something send us an email at info@gelatomessina.com.hk and we'll have a chat to you there!