Sparking the Circular Economy in Melbourne's Manufacturing Industry
Description
Monash University, in collaboration with the South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance (SEMMA) and with funding from Sustainability Victoria, conducted a comprehensive investigation into the adoption of the Circular Economy (CE) within the manufacturing sector of Victoria.
This report provides a comprehensive overview of the project's 3 phases, highlighting the key activities and outcomes achieved. It concludes with an overall assessment of the project's outcome. Let's refine the descriptions of each phase:
Phase one: Exploring circular economy adoption in Victoria
This section presents the findings of Phase one, which focused on investigating the adoption of circular economy practices in the state of Victoria. Through in-depth interviews with leading circular economy businesses in various manufacturing sub-sectors such as plastics, textiles, general engineering, and food, valuable insights were gained into the extent and experiences of implementing circular economy strategies and practices.
Phase 2: Co-designing strategies for circular economy adoption
This section summarises the activities carried out in Phase 2, which aimed to co-design strategies for circular economy adoption. It involved gathering data from businesses and local government authorities, conducting interviews to understand the barriers to circular economy implementation. Additionally, Monash University engaged in discussions with international and local partners to gather feedback. The team organized a public seminar to initiate the circular economy journey, followed by the development of 3 co-design workshops.
Phase 3: Seminars and workshops for circular economy adoption
This section outlines the activities undertaken in Phase 3 for the 4 selected manufacturing sub-sectors. Two key methods were employed: conducting online seminars targeted at each sub-sector and organising in-person workshops for manufacturers to facilitate the adoption of circular economy practices. Furthermore, this project involved the creation of the circular economy journey website to raise awareness about the benefits and principles of the circular economy.
The report concludes with an evaluation of the project's methodology, overall outcome, and provides a comprehensive summary of the findings.