Circular economy best practice and application in NSW

Posted on 23 Jan 2021
Updated on 23 Jan 2021
2-minute read

Assisting the NSW government with planning a sustainable future by looking at international applications of a circular economy.

In 2018, the NSW Government asked ISF to provide research to inform the potential application of circular economy practices in the state.

For this, ISF researchers reviewed more than 50 international cases of circular economy practice from Europe, Asia and the Americas and examined the economic, social and environmental benefits in countries where circular economy initiatives have been implemented.

Then, our researchers turned their lens to NSW. To further assist in the state government's planning, we:

reviewed the NSW context for 'priority materials' – glass, paper, plastics and metals (and considered organics, e-waste, textiles and other wastes)
developed a working definition of the circular economy for NSW, and engaged with industry, local government and civil society stakeholders through workshops on best-practice cases with applicability in NSW.
Consultated with policy experts and advisors.

As a result, ISF was able to offer the NSW Government a report that included short and longer-term recommendations and priority actions for implementing circular economy initiatives.