It’s slightly unorthodox to base the virtuosity of a café on the number of rubbish bins out back, but it works in the case of Silo by Joost. A zero-waste café within the Melbourne CBD, Silo has just a single receptacle for its entire 45sq m: a tongue-in-cheek plywood wheelie bin refashioned into a cash register. Every inch of the place, conceived by artist and eco-advocate Joost Bakker, was designed with sustainability in mind. There’s ethical, sustainable fare, naturally; fresh produce is delivered in recyclable or reusable crates and all organic waste is filtered through an on-site dehydrator and steriliser. And the design follows suit. The space is entirely kitted out in recycled or recyclable fittings, with stainless-steel benches, plywood shelves and seating in black timber-plastic, aluminium (irrigation pipe) and leather off-cuts. Strawberry crates suspended from the ceiling hold Joost’s trademark hanging ferns.
