Collaborating on wellness and waste reduction

Best mates for the better part of 17 years, Heidi Peuten and Vasia Vogias knew that the goal was to create something together – it was just a matter of what! The answer is Ulu Hye, purveyor of a sustainable and healthier alternative to store-bought nut and alternative milk products.

“We are both so passionate about health, wellbeing and sustainability it was only a natural progression to start something that would encompass all three of our passions,” they say. “Together, we would go through a huge number of nut milk per week and we became disturbed by the amount of waste our households alone were producing. That was when Ulu Hye was born.”

The Mylk Bases come in recyclable, reusable glass jars, and when added to water and blended, create up to 10 litres of fresh, creamy milk per jar. All ingredients are the highest quality, organic where possible, vegan, paleo, gluten-free, sugar-free, soy-free and free of emulsifiers, additives, thickeners, gums and preservatives.

“We are both so passionate about health, wellbeing and sustainability it was only a natural progression to start something that would encompass all three of our passions.”

Heidi and Vasia explain the three conditions they have set for every product they develop. “Firstly, it has to be better for the consumer than what is currently available; secondly, it has to be better for the environment than what is currently available; and, finally, it has to be delicious!”

From brainstorming the concept to having a tangible product ready for market was quite a lengthy process, which served Heidi and Vasia well as it gave them time to work hard and save, allowing them to fund Ulu Hye from their own bank accounts without having to hit up a bank for a loan.

“Whilst there is nothing wrong with getting a bank loan, it does add an element of stress and pressure in what is already such a stressful, albeit exciting, adventure,” they explain.

Heidi and Vasia reduce their carbon footprint in every way they possibly can, from carpooling to their NSW Northern Beaches office, to using recycled boxes and material when sending out jars to competition winners. “They may not look as pretty but we are committed to reducing and reusing everywhere we can,” they say.

The biggest initiative, however, has been stopping their online sales. While this has lost them some money, they felt it went against their ethos to only provide a couple of products when the carbon footprint involved in shipping in such volume is so high.

This story first appeared in issue 26 of the Inside Small Business quarterly magazine.