A Southern Cross University initiative, backed by the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), will launch on 7 February with a free webinar and guidebook to help small businesses transition their plastic use into a circular economy.
The resources offer access to national thought leaders in circular economy and the chance to examine successful case studies in depth. These include the Civic Futures Lab’s Great Plastics Rescue, that diverted 60 tonnes of single-use plastic from landfill and a waste management plan on Norfolk Island by Revolve Your World that saw recycling soar from zero to 75 per cent.
The experts behind these projects will be speaking at the free Southern Cross University webinar on 7 February, 2024: Going Circular: Rethinking Plastics in Your Business.
Moderated by Southern Cross lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Dr Owen Hogan, the webinar features Bronwyn Voyce, Founder of Civic Futures Lab and the Great Plastic Rescue, Luke McConnell, Managing Director of Revolve Your World, Lisa McClean, CEO of Circular Australia and Mitchell Jones, Senior Project Officer Partnerships at the NSW EPA.
“Southern Cross is a long-established research powerhouse in sustainability and environmental management. It’s great to bring together that leading research into a webinar and guidebook package that businesses can use in a practical way,” said Dr Hogan.
Webinar participants will have the opportunity to ask the panel questions and share their opinions on the complex challenges of sustainability and plastics use in a business.
“Participants will gain a great insight into the new opportunities available through circular design and the unmatched commercial potential,” said Bronwyn Voyce, Founder of Civic Futures Lab and Industry Taskforce Chair at Circular Australia.
“We don’t have to reinvent the wheel. By sharing the thinking and methodology that has made projects like Great Plastics Rescue successful, we can leapfrog and scale solutions to the plastic problem and create more sustainable business models.”
Launching concurrently with the 7 February webinar is a guide for businesses, Going Circular: Rethinking Plastics in Your Business. Written for businesses at all stages of their circular economy journey, the guide provides four modules to work through at your own pace, from high-level overviews to technical deep dives, as well as practical activities to turn theory into action.
Also launching in February is a Circular Economy Curriculum Package for schools featuring 20 detailed lesson plans that align with the Sustainability Cross-Curriculum priority and the Australian Curriculum Version 9 General Capabilities.
These latest initiatives follow on the heels of the successful Circular Economy Impact Forum at the University last year which brought together international thought leaders in circular economy and business groups from across the region.
These resources are supported by the NSW Environment Protection Authority.
