Registration of Interest - Circular Economy Partners

Background

On 14 June, 2022 Lismore City Council adopted a new strategy, the Resource Recovery and Residual Waste Strategy 2022-32 with a vision of Sharing the Responsibility towards a Circular Economy and Resourceful Community.

This Strategy is a 10-year approach to shifting from the current linear model of ‘Take, Make, Break, Dispose’ to a circular economy model that’s about designing waste out of our systems, keeping materials in use and regenerating natural ecosystems.

It is a strategy that will affect all Council policies and operations, as well as our community – households, businesses and other organisations. It also provides a road map for key changes in Council’s waste operations to achieve better outcomes for our local community and region more widely.

The Resource Recovery and Residual Waste Strategy 2022-32 is attached to this page.

What we are seeking

As part of the transition to a circular economy, Lismore City Council is seeking partners to assist in achieving its strategy outcomes and deliver circular economy solutions.

This involves organisations and businesses that can work with Council on specific projects and initiatives or that Council can support to deliver their own projects and initiatives.

These partners can be from the Lismore Local Government Area, as well as from the Northern Rivers Region (Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Richmond Valley, Tenterfield and Tweed).

The aim of the registration of interest process is to understand the capacity and capability of interested businesses or organisations to provide circular economy solutions to reuse and/or reprocess specific waste material streams or implement other circular economy initiatives.

The registration of interest is not just about improving material diversion and recycling rates, but is focused on developing viable long-term solutions to also reuse these materials within the region to:

• Retain material and economic value regionally
• Build the resilience of our regional resource management and manufacturing sectors
• To start ‘closing the loop’ with regards to the materials and products we use, consume and ultimately discard in the region

Council aims to work with applicants to co-design or facilitate suitable circular economy solutions that deliver desired outcomes for the region in partnership with Council and other relevant regional partners.

You could be a small, medium or large business, charity, community group, individual, school or university.

Examples of partnering and initiatives include:

• Local composting initiatives – for example Village-based
• Businesses seeking assistance to develop a project or acquire funding to use waste materials in manufacturing
• Charities or businesses wishing to upcycle materials for sale, value adding
• Not-for-profits wishing to start a program to provide employment opportunities
• Repair café establishment
• Tool library establishment
• Implementing sustainable packaging
• Installing new processing equipment
• Up-cycling and repurposing of fabric and clothing
• Specialised recycling and repair e.g. electronics, solar panels
• Plastics recycling – production of filament and 3D printing from plastic waste
• Innovative industrial processes that reuse materials
• Work with Council on initiatives and projects outlined in the Resource Recovery and Residual Waste Strategy 2022-2032

Council will review the registration of interests received, assess how the proposal fits with the Strategy and provide advice as to the level and type of support, facilitation or advice that may be offered by Council or other organisations.

Lismore Circular Economy Community Hub

An example of an initiative from the Resource Recovery and Residual Waste Strategy 2022-2032 is to build a Circular Economy Community Hub in Lismore with strong links to the Villages in a ‘hub and spoke’ model. The Hub will be the place for the community to access and participate in the circular economy locally.

It is envisaged that the Hub will support a number of social economy initiatives such as a repair shop, upcycling outlets, reverse garbage centre, share library, textiles and electronics upcycling, opportunity shops and new small to medium scale reuse, re-processing and recycling initiatives.

It will support small businesses; community groups and social enterprise whilst also provide significant education, employment and training opportunities linked to community education providers. Your Business or Group may be interested in working with Council as part of this project.

Information Session

An information session about the Circular Economy Partners registration of interest and project launch was held in August, 2022 at the Lismore Workers Sports Club.

This session provided further background to Council’s Resource Recovery and Residual Waste Strategy 2022-2032,the transition to a circular economy, proposed programs and initiatives, as well as provide the opportunity to ask questions and be part of discussions with others.