Our Projects
A brief sample of some of our clients and projects is provided here.
If you'd like a more detailed overview of recent work, please get in touch.
Unlocking Clothing Circularity in Australia
Supported by Kmart Australia and Sustainability Victoria
The Unlocking Clothing Circularity in Australia report outlines recommended actions to create a more circular clothing sector. The report considers each stage of clothing lifecycle from; manufacturing, sales, use and reuse, enabling the capture and sortation of clothing for reuse and recycling, to end-of-life recycling for clothing. This report is intended as reference for the clothing industry, government, and the development of the National Product Stewardship Scheme for Clothing.
Key actions include adoption of sustainable design of clothing, consumer care for garments, consistent clothing collection systems, the development of automated sorting of clothing, undertaking fibre to fibre recycling of clothing and aligning economic activity with sustainability outcomes.
Download the report:
Australian Plastics Recycling Survey
State Governments & Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation
For almost twenty years, SRU has provided state governments, APCO and the plastics industry with a comprehensive picture of plastics consumption and recycling across Australia. This reporting analyses each polymer, local and export markets and identifies priorities for increasing recovery and boosting infrastructure.
Packaging Consumption and Recycling Data
Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation
APCO, in pursuit of recycling targets agreed by all Australian governments, sought a full picture of all packaging consumption and recycling in Australia. SRU teamed with partners to provide the required data for all materials and in all applications including beverage packaging.
Recovered Resources Market Bulletin
Sustainability Victoria
For a joint initiative between SV and the waste management industry, SRU and partners have been producing a monthly recycling market update. This outlines the local and global market conditions for consumer sourced recyclables and the opportunities for improved outcomes. The bulletin is used extensively across Victoria and other jurisdictions by consumers, local and state government, and industry players and potential investors. Each bulletin is read by over 2000 stakeholders and the bulletin will continue to be produced in the year ahead.
Material flows and market development opportunities for priority materials including plastics
Sustainability Victoria
Sustainability Victoria retained RPS and SRU to provide a comprehensive report on the flow of key materials from manufacture to end of life. The project then identified current market opportunities and provided recommendations to government on where support can more usefully be provided to boost recycling of key materials. The project covered plastic, fibre, and glass packaging and other applications, including rigid beverage packaging.
Recycling Market Situation Review
Australian Government
The Federal department for the Environment retained SRU to provide high level advice on the current state of recycling markets both locally and at a global level. Much of the information provide assisted in National policy and target development. The publication of this review was covered extensively in the media and resulted in a more informed sector.
Recycled Content Label Research Paper
Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation
Alongside the Australian Recycling label, APCO was keen to understand opportunities to drive recycled content uptake in packaging through the development of a recycled content label. This report outlined how this issue is being addressed at a global level and provided APCO with a series of recommendations on a label and a verification framework to underpin this.
European Sustainability Initiatives - Retail Waste and Recycling Activity
In 2018 SRU travelled extensively in Europe and was able to report on key findings and initiatives being undertaken in each national jurisdiction. This analysis was primarily focused on consumer packaging and the role of government, brand owners and retailers in furthering circular economy initiatives.
Multi Unit Developments - Waste Reduction Strategies
Teamed with Reground, SRU has assisted a range of large Multi-Unit Developments (MUDS) to reduce their waste generation. This has included conducting waste and recycling stream audits and the development of implementation strategies to reduce waste, establish new recycling opportunities and cut contamination rates. Substantial savings arise from this implementation.
Single Use Plastics Bans
City of Yarra
SRU has combined with Reground to develop an action plan and implementation guidelines for a ban on single use plastics in the City of Yarra. This has involved stakeholder engagement and subjecting each possible measure to a prioritising assessment criteria. The result has been a comprehensive approach with strong council staff ownership and practical, measurable outcomes.
Soft Plastics Recycling
Four Victorian Councils & Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Council
The fastest growing format of packaging is soft, or flexible plastics. This exceeds 400,000 tonnes annually and SRU was retained to find a practical solution to cut the generation of waste. This resulted in the ‘bags in a bag’ collection system being introduced across 170,000 households in Melbourne. The initiative was extremely well received by the communities where it was introduced and major packaging companies are keen to pursue a broader roll out when market conditions allow.
Residential development strategy
Yarra Valley Water
Yarra Valley Water retained SRU to provide assessment of the potential for waste reduction in the development of a large greenfield site destined to become a new suburb. This covered the site development, construction and residential living stages. It looked at global best practice and set targets for reduction. It also covered the potential for local employment through establishing recycling infrastructure.
Clothing Reuse and Recycling
SRU has produced an assessment of the consumption, reuse and recycling of clothing here and globally. This is enhanced by knowledge and connections from visits to prominent European sites and attending the Global Fashion Summit. The analysis explores the trends in clothing purchase, storage, the scope of the charity sector in reuse and potential technologies for recycling organic and synthetic garments.
End of Life Motor Vehicles
Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Council
SRU teamed with Nolan Consulting to analyse the pathway of the hundreds of thousands of vehicles reaching end of life in Victoria. This included the profile of materials generated and the levels of recovery. Recommendations of measures to reduce residual material to landfill were provided.
Local Government Waste and Recycling Strategies
SRU has developed waste and recycling strategies for a number of councils. The most recent of these have been for the City of Brimbank and the City of Moreland. This has equipped them to reduce garbage, expand recycling and develop communications for their communities and renew waste and recycling contracts.
Eastland Shopping Centre Waste Reduction
Eastland
Eastland is a major shopping mall in outer Melbourne that was seeking to address waste comprehensively. SRU undertook a detailed assessment of potential opportunities based on observations and discussions with the retail sector in Europe. The result was the development of a strategy and implementation plan that addresses food courts, loading dock waste and public space waste and litter reduction.