The circular economy agenda is full of opportunities to drive a triple dividend: boosting growth in value creation; cutting impacts on climate and the environment; and building supply chain resilience through locally accessible inputs from recovered and recycled inputs.

Circularity will be crucial to the achievement of Australia’s Net Zero ambitions. Around 20% of global emissions are associated with making industrial products, and another 24% with producing food.1 Near term emissions reductions from materials efficiency and enhanced recycling could be substantial, and much larger in the long term.

While important to the economy as a whole, the circular economy and material productivity can significantly impact national priorities in the short term in key sectors of interest, including clean energy infrastructure and housing.

Key recommendations

1. Mandate Product Stewardship for solar photovoltaics and peripheral products.
2. The Government should complete its work on packaging regulation reform and support market development for recyclate derived from packaging waste.
3. Drive circular material uptake through removing barriers to use of fit-for-purpose recycled inputs in publicly funded projects.
4. The Government should pursue guidance on repairability and durability of common product categories
5. The Government should look to support manufacturers – particularly SMEs – to take up precision manufacturing techniques, including via supportive policies and harmonisation of standards and rules.
   1. Promote use of artificial intelligence, robotics, and other innovative technologies in advanced manufacturing'
   2. Work with other levels of government to promote the efficiencies and environmental outcomes that can be achieved by businesses
6. The Government should accelerate current work on addressing barriers to modular construction and prefabricated buildings.