Page 20 from: Recycling Technology 2020

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2020

Research

Author
Professor Veena Sahajwalla is a scientist,
engineer, inventor and Professor of Materials
Science and Engineering at UNSW in Sydney,
Australia. She is the Director of the UNSW Centre
for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology,
Director of the NSW government’s new Circular
Economy Innovation Network and an Australian
Research Council Laureate Fellow.

In Australia, the national government re-
elected in May 2019 announced the country’s
first-ever ministerial role for ‘waste reduction’,
to be connected to its foreshadowed Waste
Recycling Investment Plan. Each of the state
governments in Australia now also has circular
economy policies and statements, and is work-
ing hard to change the value chain around waste.

Another positive development has been
the establishment of dedicated initiatives to
create networks and hubs that bring together
the various stakeholders across supply chains
so as to work together to find the opportuni-
ties necessary to make changes that not only
reduce waste but also ensure it can be valued
and used as a renewable resource through cir-
cular solutions.

Local loop-closing
In the state of New South Wales (NSW),

for example, we are working hard to close the
loop wherever possible on materials in local
economies by building awareness and new
connections to create value-added products
through materials reuse or transformation,
particularly for materials which can be direct-
ed into high-quality manufacturing solutions.

I was honoured to be appointed in March
this year as the Director of the new government-
funded NSW Circular Economy Innovation
Network, which has been tasked with helping
drive this change across Australia’s largest state.

Global drivers
At an international level, there has been

growing momentum in this space. This type
of work is perhaps best known through UN
Environment, the World Economic Forum
and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, with
initiatives such as the Platform for Accelerat-
ing the Circular Economy. However, small-
scale actions and solutions through market-
based networks like ours are required to meet
the needs of local businesses that make up the
majority of economies.

In March 2019, the European Commission
adopted a comprehensive report on the im-
plementation of the Circular Economy Action
Plan, which presents its main achievements so
far and sketches out future challenges to de-
veloping circular economies to reduce pres-
sure on natural and freshwater resources, as
well as ecosystems.

New Technical Committee
To demonstrate the growing importance of

circular economy principles, a new Technical
Committee under the International Organi-
zation for Standardization was announced in
July 2019 with the objective to help make the
global circular economy a reality by steering
local projects towards a sustainable, agreed
global standard.

Known as ISO/TC 323 – Circular Econ-
omy, this Technical Committee will develop

requirements, frameworks, guidance and
support tools, with the aim of ensuring imple-
mentation of UN Sustainable Development
Goals. The Committee comprises experts
from over 65 countries, with Australia sitting
as an observer member.

So while there is growing concern around
the need for greater sustainability, I actually
see 2019 as a tipping point year when the mo-
mentum of change is starting to crystallise the
concept of a circular economy. This is a period
of disruption we must have.

A better life for all
The bottom line is a circular economy cre-

ates local jobs, enhances the economy, and
improves social and environmental wellbe-
ing. The pace of change must accelerate into
the next decade so we can live more sustain-
ably and harmoniously on our planet.

New South Wales Environment minister Matthew Kean (middle) during a visit to the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology.

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