Thank you to everyone who has participated in the consultation. The ACT Government is considering all feedback.

In our current system, raw materials and resources are made into products and after use, are thrown away as waste. This ‘take, make, dispose’ model is a linear system that is unsustainable for our planet.

The circular economy is a different approach that aims to keep resources circulating in our economy for as long as possible. It aims to maximise the value of materials, creates jobs and stops waste from being produced in the first place.

The benefits of adopting a circular economy are not just about improving the natural environment, wellbeing and supporting the transition to a net zero city. The circular economy provides great opportunities for innovation, economic growth and job creation.

The three key principles of a circular economy are:

• Design out waste and pollution
• Keep products and materials in use
• Avoid negative impacts to the environment and regenerate natural systems.

We have developed a draft ACT Circular Economy Strategy that sets the vision, strategic objectives and focus areas to take the first steps to making our economy more circular.

Help shape the ACT's Circular Economy strategy by:

• reviewing the draft ACT Circular Economy Strategy
• uploading a submission
• completing the survey

Examples of circularity in action in the ACT

ACT Government

• New materials recovery facility: improving our local recycling capacity.
• Northbourne Avenue Road Surface Rehabilitation: 6,000 tonnes of recycled material used in the rehabilitation of Northbourne Avenue, reducing new imported materials to site by 69%.
• Recycled plastic bollards: over 5,000 recycled plastic bollards installed across Canberra.

Business

• Thor’s Hammer: creates furniture from recycled and recovered timber.
• Green Caffeen: approximately 90 Canberra cafes provide reusable coffee cups through a swap and go system.
• Soft Landing: recycling mattresses and bed ensembles while providing meaningful employment.
• Shared mobility: shared bike, car and e-scooter schemes.

Community

• Repair Cafés: community run Repair Cafés, teaching repair skills and keeping products in use.
• Community Toolbox Canberra: community-led tool and equipment library, supporting shared access to tools and equipment.
• Gumtree: free to use online marketplace which connects buyers and sellers by facilitating safe, local trades.
• Givit: collecting donations that fill a real need, by giving the right items to people who need them at the right time.

There are five key focus areas that provide a significant opportunity to advance circularity in the ACT through to 2025.

These focus areas are aligned with initiatives already underway in the ACT and provide transformative potential for the ACT based on their contribution to material consumption, waste generation, and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the opportunities they provide to create change across the supply chain.

Your ideas will be considered in the development of a final ACT Circular Economy Strategy.

Before making a submission, please review the YourSay privacy policy. Any personal information received in the course of your submission will be used only for the purposes of this community engagement process. Names of organisations may be included in any subsequent consultation report, but all individuals will be deidentified unless prior approval is gained.