Minimising waste and recovering resources is one of our key responsibilities at council. We provide this through our kerbside collection service, and partnerships with key stakeholders in the waste and resource recovery sector.
We have traditionally lived in a linear economy, meaning we’ve taken, made, and then thrown away materials and goods without really costing or understanding the consequences of this consumption and production model.
This model seemed ok in times of lower global populations and what appeared to be an abundance of natural resources. However, we now know this model of consumption and production is simply unsustainable, and we need to look at more efficient ways of using our finite resources. One way we can achieve this is through the concept of the circular economy.
The circular economy forms a key tenet of our Sustainability Strategy’s key priority of area of Responsible Consumption and Production.
What is a Circular Economy?
A circular economy aims to reduce waste by keeping products and materials in use for as long as possible, and is based on three key principles:
- Eliminating waste and pollution through smart design,
- Reusing products and keeping materials at their highest value for as long as possible, and
- Regenerating natural systems – aiding natural processes and letting nature thrive, such as improvement of green spaces, increased biodiversity and better soil conditions.
Adopting the principles of the circular economy into our organisation and community’s everyday routines can transform our mostly linear economy into an economy that fosters creativity, innovation and productivity. Doing so can create major economic, social and environmental benefits within the community we live, work and play.
What can I do at home?
You are already participating in the circular economy, possibly without even knowing!
Placing your recyclables in our kerbside recycling service means you have contributed to over 7,000 tonnes of materials being diverted from landfill and transformed into new products in FY2023/2024 alone.
Participating in additional activities may be a little trickier, but certainly not impossible. It requires all of us to think differently about our behaviours regarding usage of the materials we consume and use, including:
- Sharing – rethinking ownership to user rights, renting, borrowing and shared use. Examples include libraries, ridesharing, streaming services, and renting equipment (i.e., tool libraries).
- Reusing – hosting or visiting a garage sale, taking a reusable coffee cup to your local cafe, reusable shopping bags, or trying cloth nappies.
- Repairing and refurbishing – upcycling your old furniture with a new coat of paint or repairing or replacing a broken item instead of discarding and buying new – this may even mean taking on the challenge to learn a new skill.
As council embraces the circular economy, please keep your eyes on our website for any updates or exciting new developments and partnerships in the space.
To learn more about our waste and resource recovery services, please visit the waste and resource recovery services.
Resources