Following the success of our Go Full Circle program, we want to continue supporting Melbourne businesses to learn more about circular economy through our free six-week training program Going Circular.
The training program consists of online workshops, in person networking opportunities and one-on-one consultation with circular economy experts. During the program, participants will develop a tailored circular economy action plan for their business.
Businesses located in North and West Melbourne will have the opportunity to receive support to deliver circular outcomes through the North and West Melbourne Circular Economy Precinct.
In this program participants will learn how to:
- reduce cost
- grow their customer base
- identify new revenue streams
- enhance supply chain resilience
- minimise waste.
We are partnering with Circulise, an expert on the circular economy to deliver the program.
Key dates
Our next program will run from Monday 7 October to Friday 15 November 2024. The six-week online course will be held on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6pm to 7.45pm.
We will be hosting a closing networking event on Wednesday 20 November during the final week of the program.
Expressions of interest have now closed. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application via email. For further enquiries about the Going Circular training program, email circulareconomy@melbourne.vic.gov.au
This program is open (but not limited) to businesses in the following industries:
- hospitality
- retail.
Owners, leaders or champions at any level within the business can take part.
If you choose to take part, you’ll leave the Going Circular program with a fresh perspective on sustainability – plus a host of new skills.
Participants will learn how to spot opportunities to reduce their environmental impact and improve their businesses' financial health.
Circular practices aren’t just good for the planet. You can use them to boost business performance by:
- Reducing costs - Saving, reusing and repurposing waste materials can help you reduce your monthly overheads.
- Gaining new customers - True sustainability is becoming a powerful drawcard for small businesses. Emphasising your circular business practices could help you attract a slew of new and loyal regulars.
- Identifying new revenue streams - Circular revenue models, such as cup-swap systems, can not only reduce costs but also bring in additional revenue. Learn how to spot new revenue opportunities, then get creative!
Throughout the program, you’ll develop a compelling circular economy-based action plan to help you identify these opportunities, as well as ongoing access to valuable resources.
The program will also feature one-on-one mentoring sessions at mutually convenient times.
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Frequently asked questions
The circular economy is the sustainable alternative to the linear economy we live in today.
The linear economy produces, consumes and disposes of materials at the end of their lifecycle. The circular economy turns these – often perfectly usable – materials back into useful resources.
Earth does not have an unlimited supply of resources. Right now, humanity is extracting them 1.8 times faster than Earth can regenerate them. This is thanks to our current ‘linear’ economic model.
The linear economy is based on extraction, production, and disposal. We take planetary resources, turn them into products, and eventually dump them back into the environment as waste. This is not sustainable.
So, how do we adopt a different approach? One that allows humanity to thrive within Earth’s planetary boundaries? The circular economy – built on reducing, reusing and repurposing waste materials – offers a way forward.
Making the world more circular starts with a mindset shift. We need to adopt a more conscientious attitude towards the planet – recognising that Earth’s resources do not exist solely for humanity’s gain.
Business owners can have a positive impact here. They can change their perspectives on waste management and more closely examine their supply chains to avoid and eliminate unnecessary waste.
Participants in the Going Circular program get to examine real-world examples of circular initiatives. They use what they learn to develop a circular framework they can apply to their businesses as soon as they finish the course.
Recycling is not inherently circular. Although it is based on recovering and repurposing materials – two central tenets of a circular economy – the recycling process tends to degrade material strength. It’s also highly energy intensive.
Recycling facilities are also not as well equipped as most people think. Massive amounts of waste still wind up in landfills due to low recycling capacity. True circularity is about minimising or eliminating waste altogether.
Seventy to eighty per cent of waste is locked in during the design phase of the production process. While recycling is a terrific practice in theory, a better and more circular approach is to ‘design out’ waste from the start.
Join the Going Circular program by competing an expression of interest form below.
