We work with organisations to identify and evaluate opportunities to avoid, reuse and recover waste and adopt new circular economy business models.
Resources are fundamental to our society and wellbeing, yet increasing demand places huge pressure on our natural resources, degrading fragile ecosystems, and adversely affecting human health. At the same time, societies are becoming increasingly wasteful, pollution from plastic waste is a pressing global environmental problem and our resource recovery systems for discarded packaging, organics, textiles and e-waste are failing.
At ISF, we don’t see this as a simple waste-management problem. Our research takes a ‘circular economy’ approach that creates a new vision for sustainable economies, where products, processes and systems are redesigned to avoid waste and to maximise the value of resources through actions to: reduce, repurpose, reuse, remanufacture and recycle.
Expertise areas
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Circular economy
Investigating strategies, policies, business models, and social and technical solutions to drive a circular economy.
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Resource recovery
Promoting smarter and more productive use of resources through efficient resource recovery including reuse and recycling.
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Sustainability of supply chains
Identifying opportunities to improve the environmental and social impacts of resource use and supply chains.
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Plastics and packaging
Helping reduce the harmful social and environmental impacts of plastics and packaging through better approaches to design, reuse and recycling.
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Metals, electronics and e-waste
Finding opportunities to ‘mine’ above-ground metal resources in a future circular economy for metals.
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Textiles and garments
Enhancing environmental and social sustainability of global production and consumption of textiles and garments.
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Organic resources in the circular economy
Using innovative approaches, management and partnerships to transform food waste and other organic resources into closed-loop value chains.
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Designing out hazardous chemicals
Providing innovative, tailored and nuanced strategies to address the tensions between circularity and pollution.
Research news and projects
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Putting solar panels on your roof is a great way to fight climate change and reduce your power bills.
But there are some important things to think about to make sure you maximise the benefits for you and the planet. Did you know that Australia is on track to send more than 400,000 tonnes of valuable solar products to landfill by 2040?
And many of the panels we export for reuse end up contributing to other countries' waste problems. So how can you be part of the solution?
If you're buying a new system, get the best quality you can. Look for approved sellers and buy quality products that come with long warranty periods. Making the right choices now could mean years or even decades of extra use.
When it comes time to replace or upgrade your system, talk to your installer about how to recover the most value from your old panels through reuse or recycling. And look for local recyclers working with product stewardship schemes.
Together, we can ensure our solar is powering a bright future.
To find out more, visit uts.edu.au/circularsolar
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NEWS | October 2024
Scaling up the circular economy for food and organic by-products
At the Organix24 Researcher Workshop, national experts shared circular economy ideas for transforming organic by-products like food waste and excreta into valuable resources while meeting net zero ta
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NSW container deposit legislation a crushing storyA major research report produced in 2000 by ISF’s Professor Stuart White played a major role in the NSW Government’s decision to finally introduce container deposit legislation in 2017, and helped to enshrine the concept of producer stewardship in state legislation.
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Chemicals, forever: how do you fix a problem like PFAS?In Australia, the taxpayer has footed the bill for the forever chemical clean-up so far. But this will have to change write Sarah Wilson and Rachael Wakefield-Rann.
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PROJECT | 2024
Toxic-free childcare guide
A practical guide to making Australian childcare centres and preschools safer.
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IMPACT STORY
Wealth from waste
ISF and its project partners were at the front of circular economic thinking, whereby resource supply chain adjustments could reduce landfill, increase environmental sustainability and create jobs.
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Investigation of Australian used packaging material flowsOn behalf of the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), ISF explored how packaging in Australia is managed: from consumption and collection of used material, to end-of-life recovery and disposal.
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IMPACT STORY
ISF research on packaging is something out of the box
ISF research played a major role in influencing government policy and strategy regarding waste management and resource recovery for packaging materials.
Team
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Program lead - Resource stewardshipSustainable consumption, circular economy policy and supply chains.
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Associate Professor & Research DirectorApplied research supporting product stewardship and circular supply chains.
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Research PrincipalSystemic approaches to circular supply chains, stewardship and pollution.
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Research DirectorCircular economy, resource efficiency in manufacturing, industrial symbiosis.
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Senior Research ConsultantQuantitative modelling and assessment of sustainable waste management systems.
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Associate Director Research, ISF ProfessorProduct Stewardship; Decarbonisation; Circular Economy for resources, water, energy.
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Program lead - Course developmentEmployment, enterprise and policy setting for green and just transition.
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Research DirectorTransition to circular economy for resource, water and energy systems.
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Research PrincipalSustainable production and consumption, circular economy, and the fashion industry.
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Program Lead – Water FuturesApplied research on food waste and transition of the urban organic waste industry.
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Adjunct Professor -
Adjunct Professor -
Adjunct Professor -
Research AssistantLaw reform, policy development and environmental & social justice initiatives.
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Senior Research ConsultantEnvironmental Scientist, policy and research on land, energy, water and biodiversity through geospatial analysis.
Let's collaborate
Whether you have a problem that needs support or an idea for change, our innovative and solutions-focused approach can help you achieve your goals.
Contact Monique Retamal on Monique.Retamal@uts.edu.au for more information.
