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The Future of Circular Economy in Australia & New Zealand

"In order to try and change the world, one must put themselves on the front line of change" Creating an economically viable Circular Economy is vital to not only Australia and New Zealand, but the planet as a whole.

Our world currently functions around a “linear economy”. Product lifecycles follow a line: production – use – disposal. This model ends up creating a lot of waste. Many of us are well aware of the problems that huge amounts of waste are causing for our planet, from overflowing landfills to plastic pollution in the ocean.

The circular economy will combat this by using waste to  produce new items, so that resources re-enter the economy, creating a  repeating “circle”. It goes beyond recycling, by planning the whole  product lifestyle from the start, to minimise any waste that will be  produced and ensure that anything left over can be reused again and  again. Recycling, on the other hand, is limited by the fact that certain materials can only be repurposed a finite number of times, and often only a proportion of the original  material is recycled.

The circular economy is good for the planet because  it helps us preserve the earth’s precious natural resources. It also helps to prevent excessive waste that pollutes and damages the  environment.

"The Circular Economy not only represents a trillion-dollar economic opportunity globally, but is a key part of the global solution to tackle plastic waste, address climate change, and restore the health of ecosystems. The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted many of the risks of today's extractive industrial model, reinforcing the relevance of the Circular Economy."

- Mark Barnaba, Board member of the Reserve Bank of Australia and co-char of Sea The Future.

Published in 'Financing The Circular Economy' from the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, 2020

"Early-stage and growth-stage investing, including venture capital, private equity and private debt, have seen a rapid acceleration of Circular Economy activity. The number of private market funds with a Circular Economy focus has grown tenfold since 2016, and start-ups developing plastic alternatives have raised more than USD 850 million in funding in the last three years. Significant financing has also been raised in the last three years for Circular Economy projects on the US private activity bond market, including over USD 500 million for projects turning agricultural by-products into commercial products."

- Published in 'Financing The Circular Economy' from the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, 2020

Terran Industries was formed with the idea to enable businesses to transition into the Circular Economy, and empower organisations to take climate action into their own hands. Market research showed that many businesses wanted to start their Green Transition, but did not where to begin. Too much information. Too much Greenwashing. Too many choices. And unsure which solution was the best for their business.

Terran Industries fills this market gap by enabling business to transition to a Circular Economy, working directly with the business acting as the organisations dedicated sustainable procurement and project management team.  Working with the company over an extended period of time, Terran Industries manages and maintains the clients entire Circular Economy transition, enabling the business to focus on their operations while their green logistics is remotely managed and regulated.

We are standing at the dawn of a new technological age. The age of the Green Revolution. And technology has a huge part to play. Thousands of years ago, the Wheel was considered a technological revolution. Today we literally have machines that can think for us. Tomorrow, next year, one hundred years from now, anything is possible.

There are thousands of start-ups and established companies exploring countless techniques and technologies to help mitigate or adapt to climate change. These companies are the key to securing our sustainable, economic future. Technology and the industrial revolution got humanity into this mess in the first place. New technology will get us out.

This article was developed in partnership with Climate Salad, an Australian based group dedicated to climate action through entrepreneurial empowerment.