The circular economy (CE) is a practical framework to address global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, water scarcity, pollution and energy transition. It aims to transform the current linear economic model of ‘take, make, and waste’ into a circular economic model where systems are designed to:

• Eliminate waste and pollution
• Circulate products and materials within the economy at their highest value and utility for as long as possible
• Regenerate nature at end-of-life

Cities, being the centres of human activity, are in a prime position to lead the transition from a linear to a circular system.

As one of the fastest-growing and diverse communities in Australia, the City of Casey recognises the need for circularity to ensure sustainable growth and provide future opportunities in the local economy, using these principles to trial and validate innovation in response to complex problems.

Over six months, the Collaborate to Thrive program explored local circular economy opportunities, mapping the actors and the initiatives connected with circularity in the region, in partnership with a Not For Profit, Circular Economy Victoria.

Various awareness and education activities took place, as well as a series of targeted engagement sessions with a focus on the built environment.
This included stakeholders that currently plan, build, maintain, and use the built environment within the City of Casey. The built environment was prioritised because of both its environmental footprint and its economic importance in the municipality.

In this industry targeted phase, the engagement was completed with the following objectives:

• Understand drivers, enablers and barriers to a circular economy in residential, industrial and civil construction to inform innovation pathways.
• Provide City of Casey with practical pathways to circularity in the built environment through design, construction, and management of assets.
• Understand opportunities and prioritise circular economy interventions in council-owned assets, infrastructure, and housing.
• Increase awareness within Casey residents about opportunities to embed circular economy in their households and in communal spaces across the city.

The program outcomes informed a Strategic Opportunities Paper outlining a pathway for the City of Casey to further develop circular economy initiatives, prioritising key interventions in line with Casey’s strategic goals over the next three years.

The key pathway elements can be summarised as follows:

The opportunities identified in the local built environment will be further explored by the city of Casey in collaboration with the partners who participated in the Collaborate to Thrive program.

Through the Smart Casey Launchpad Program, City of Casey will continue to explore opportunities for Circular Economy adoption in the region, enabling collaborative design of circular solutions in the City of Casey through the Circular Economy Living Lab, which will be launching later in 2022.