FAQs

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. WHAT IS RESTORE?

RESTORE is a convenient and eco-friendly way to have fresh milk and other products delivered to your doorstep. This service replaces single-use plastic packaging with reusable glass bottles that are collected, sanitised, and refilled after each delivery. This closed-loop system reduces plastic waste and promotes sustainability.

2. HOW DOES THE RESTORE SERVICE WORK?

You sign up for a subscription of your preferred products via our website. The delivery service provides you with fresh products in reusable glass bottles at scheduled intervals, either weekly or fortnightly. After use, the empty bottles are collected on your next scheduled delivery, and you receive freshly filled bottles.

3. WHY IS THE RESTORE PROJECT IMPORTANT?

Because the big players are not doing enough and do not give consumers sustainable alternatives. Because the supermarkets prioritise convenience over sustainability. There has to be a better way that is less wasteful. We can all see an urgent need to reduce our reliance on plastic. RESTORE is empowering consumers to take real action in their own homes. It’s giving them a real choice that will make a big difference to their local environment.

4. IS THIS LIKE THE OLD ‘MILKMAN’?

Yes, very similar! Our model is not new. It’s simply restoring what we once had. Taking us back to our grandparents’ days when there was no single-use plastic. The ‘milkman’ supplied our neighbourhoods for decades with milk in reused glass bottles. Yet the need to reduce plastic waste is a challenge of our times.

5. HOW OFTEN WILL I RECEIVE DELIVERIES?

Deliveries are made to your area every Friday early morning. You can choose to receive your fresh products every week or choose a fortnightly schedule to best suit your needs.

In order to make the service available to our waitlist in Waverley, Woollahra, City of Sydney, Inner West (2044, 2045 and 2130) and Canada Bay Councils, and to overcome a shortage in milkmen, delivery to these areas will initially be made every Saturday early morning.

6. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT THAT I SIGN UP FOR A SUBSCRIPTION?

To achieve our aim of reducing single-use packaging, we need customers to return their glass bottles. While you have the option to make a one-off purchase of our products, we require that you sign up for a subscription (i.e. a regular delivery) in order to put you into our circular RESTORE system, and to be able schedule collection of your empty containers on subsequent deliveries. You can cancel or pause your subscription at any time, giving you full flexibility of how often you receive deliveries.

7. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING GLASS BOTTLES?

Using glass bottles reduces plastic waste. By reusing bottles, this supports a circular economy that minimises the need for constant production of new packaging materials. Glass bottles are also airtight and non-reactive, preserving the quality of the milk and preventing any unwanted flavours or chemicals leaching into the milk. Glass bottles are the safer and more environmentally friendly option.

8. WHAT MILK DO YOU USE AND IS IT LOCALLY SOURCED?

RESTORE works with Australian farmers and producers to get you the best produce. This ensures that you're getting high-quality, sustainable products while enabling ethical consumer choices. Our milk is single-source, homogenised from an independent dairy on the NSW South Coast.

9. HOW DOES RESTORE HELP AUSSIE FARMERS?

We are all aware of the plight of the Australian dairy industry, with farms decimated by supermarket price wars and natural disasters. RESTORE works to support the dairy industry by sourcing from independent dairies and paying them a fair price for each litre of milk. We’re sure that you will taste the difference!

10. WHAT IF I WANT TO MODIFY, PAUSE OR CANCEL MY SUBSCRIPTION?

You can change your products, delivery frequency, or pause your deliveries temporarily if needed. You can cancel your subscription at any time.

11. CAN I CANCEL MY SUBSCRIPTION ANYTIME?

Yes. Please give us at least 5 days’ notice prior to your next scheduled delivery.

12. ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL FEES FOR DELIVERY?

No

13. IS THE SERVICE AVAILABLE IN MY AREA?

RESTORE’s service area covers North Sydney and Mosman Council areas (postcodes 2060, 2061, 2062, 2065, 2088, 2089, 2090) and Inner West postcodes 2037-2043, 2048-2050. From August 2024, this expands to include postcodes 2010, 2011, 2015, 2021-2028, 2044-2047 and 2130. in Waverley, Woollahra, City of Sydney, Inner West and Canada Bay Councils. We are currently limited to this area in order to ensure efficient delivery planning. To register your interest and join our waitlist for the next expansion, please email us your postcode to hello@restore.au

14. HOW WILL I KNOW WHEN MY ORDER WILL BE DELIVERED?

When you place a subscription, you will choose from our weekly or fortnightly ‘RESTOREs‘. At the start of each RESTORE, you will receive an email notifying you that your products are on their way. We aim to deliver in the early morning before 8:00.

15. HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN FRESHNESS OF YOUR PRODUCTS?

RESTORE follows industry-standard processes to ensure the hygiene and safety of your groceries. Your products are delivered by refrigerated truck which maintains them at an optimal (cold) temperature. For extra preservation, you might leave an esky or insulated bag with ice bricks for us to place your products into.

16. WHERE WILL MY DRIVER LEAVE DELIVERIES?

When placing your order, you will be asked to provide instructions of where you would like your driver to leave your deliveries. You might opt for us to leave it on the doorstep, or perhaps hidden behind a plant or wall. You might even leave an esky or icebox for us to place the containers into.

17. DO YOU DELIVER TO APARTMENTS?

Yes! Providing we can get access, we can deliver inside your lobby area. Please make sure you provide an access code or instructions in your delivery instructions for your driver to use. Please note, due to the time we deliver, we can't ring buzzers, text or call.

18. WHAT HAPPENS TO THE EMPTY CONTAINERS?

After you've used the products, we ask you to rinse the empty bottles and containers and leave them (with the lid screwed on) on your doorstep for collection during your next scheduled delivery. The containers are RESTORE-d by thoroughly cleaning and sanitising them using industry-standard processes to ensure hygiene and safety. They are then ready to be refilled for your next order. This process ensures a closed-loop system where packaging waste is significantly reduced.

19. HOW DO I RETURN THE EMPTY CONTAINERS TO RESTORE?

The Restore Project is a circular process. That means that you are not only a ‘customer’ but a participant in the RESTORE process. We cannot achieve our goals of waste reduction without your involvement. That means, firstly, rinsing your empty containers out to remove any product residues. Although your bottles are washed and sanitised at our facility, that small step makes a BIG difference! Second, returning those rinsed containers, which is as simple as leaving them out for collection by your driver during your next scheduled delivery.

20. WHAT HAPPENS IF A GLASS BOTTLE BREAKS OR GETS DAMAGED?

Accidents can happen. If a glass bottle breaks or chips while in your possession, please dispose of this in your rubbish.

21. CAN I RECYCLE THE CONTAINERS MYSELF?

While it's possible to recycle the containers yourself, the main idea behind RESTORE is to minimise waste through reuse. By returning the containers, you actively participate in the closed-loop system and contribute to reducing your environmental impact. Additionally, while recycling is encouraged, what we put in our household recycling bin typically ends up dumped in landfill and is not recycled. The NSW EPA puts this figure at over 60%.

22. I’VE HEARD ABOUT MILKRUN. IS THIS THE SAME THING?

No. RESTORE is about reducing packaging through an entirely plastic-free supply chain and a circular system that reuses containers again and again. Milkrun was a service that focussed on delivering groceries within a short timeline.

23. HOW DO I CONTACT CUSTOMER SUPPORT?

For more information about The Restore Project, or if you have any questions or concerns, our customer support team can assist you. Get in touch via our website or email us at hello@therestore.au.