Did you know local councils won’t recycle pizza boxes if they’re dirty? Sauce stains, dried bits of melted cheese, that last cold slice with a couple of bites taken out of it – if any of those leftovers are in the box when you put it in recycling, it’ll end up in landfill instead.

Fortunately, Phil Gijsbers, Neil Mills (both of Hard Pressed Coffee) and Adam Chapman, co-owners of new Windsor pizza bar Small Print, have come up with a solution.

“We put a sacrificial piece of paper inside every fully recyclable pizza box to make sure it stays clean and can be recycled,” says Gijsbers.

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It’s just one of the ways they’re working towards creating a sustainable, ethical business. Small Print is a shortened version of “small eco-footprint”, and although the owners admit they’re a while off a completely waste-free operation, they’re determined to try.

“We want to reduce waste but also just [want to] be more aware of waste,” says Gijsbers. “There are simple things you can do, smart things. We want to think around the problem.”

Aside from grease-proofing the pizza boxes, Small Print is a “glass-free zone”, which means all its drinks are served from a tap, not bottles, so there’s no beverage waste.

The menu is also largely vegetarian. Where there is meat it’s locally and sustainably sourced and made up mostly of secondary cuts, such as the kangaroo meatballs, which are made using bits of the animal that would typically be thrown out.

But despite these internal measures, the owners of Small Print aren’t trying to jam their ethos down anyone’s throat, and they haven’t compromised on anything to maintain it. The sourdough pizzas are excellent, ranging from a classic Margherita to one with beef brisket, apple, radicchio, mozzarella, chives and house-smoked yoghurt. There are dessert pizzas, too, and plenty of great booze and house-made soft drinks.

In summer Small Print will deliver your order to neighbouring Victoria Gardens. “We’ll give you a helium balloon with your number on it so you can go and sit in the park with your dog and we’ll bring your pizza over when it’s ready,” says Gijsbers.

Small Print Pizza

388 High Street, Windsor

Hours:

Sun to Thu 4pm–9.30pm

Fri & Sat 4pm–10.30pm

smallprintpizza.com.au