Big investment in New Zealand’s circular economy

Big investment in New Zealand’s circular economy

SBN’s work on New Zealand’s transition to a circular economy has received a vital boost. Fuji Xerox, 3R Group and Auckland Council have become Foundation Partners of the newly launched Circular Economy Accelerator.

The announcement represents a significant investment in scaling and accelerating New Zealand’s transition to a circular economy.

SBN has been working in this area for the last few years. A circular economy is where the lifecycle of materials is maximised, usage optimised and end of life materials reutilised to create a continuous flow.

The new Circular Economy Accelerator launches today. It brings together all SBN’s work on this initiative on a new platform. It will inspire, influence and enable New Zealand organisations to benefit from this globally emergent way of thinking and working.

The new Going Circular Award at this year’s NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards was sponsored by Auckland Council. It received the most entries of any award in SBN’s 15-year history. Project lead James Griffin is delighted by the early-stage investment, which has enabled the launch of the Circular Economy Accelerator.

“This marks a significant step-change in our efforts to scale and speed up this transition,” he says. “It’s also a tribute to the foresight of the companies involved. The Circular Economy is the economy of the future, but it is emerging right now. The companies that get to grips with it early will form the next wave of global success stories.”

Projects such as the Circular Economy Model Office and the Circular Economy Opportunity for Auckland initiative will now be driven on by the Accelerator. The new resource will also provide knowledge, support, connections, events and inspiration.

Peter Thomas is Managing Director of Fuji Xerox New Zealand. He says:

“Fuji Xerox is committed to supporting a circular economy both in New Zealand and across the Asia Pacific region. At Fuji Xerox New Zealand, we believe that our Ministry for the Environment-accredited Product Stewardship Scheme is the first step to a circular economy. We take back our equipment and refurbish it to extend its life. At end of life, we recycle over 99.5% of the equipment and toner cartridges we get back.

“We believe in innovation and working in partnership with our customers and our suppliers. That's why we are delighted to be the first Foundation Partners of the Circular Economy Accelerator. It will be a platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing and inspiration to make NZ a circular economy.”

Adele Rose is Chief Executive of 3R Group. She says “We’re proud to take a leadership position along with Fuji Xerox, Auckland Council and SBN. Moving from a ‘take, make, waste’ model to a circular economy opens up an exciting new way of doing business. It brings with it a wealth of opportunities for New Zealand companies. It will take a collaborative approach, which we fully embrace as we work with small and large businesses alike on reimagining our resource use.”

Parul Sood is Auckland Council’s General Manager, Waste Solutions. She says industry-led product stewardship is a vital component in efforts to reduce the volume of commercial waste going to landfill.

“Auckland Council is committed to promoting the principles of Circular Economy. We are delighted to be partnering with SBN, Government and industry leaders in this work.”

James adds: “The circular economy represents a viable and low carbon economic solution for the world. New Zealand has the opportunity to demonstrate leadership in the inevitable transition to the circular economy from the outdated linear model.

“There are some exciting plans for 2018, including a major event and new systems innovation projects. We look forward to working with all our partners and SBN members on this.”

Go to circulareconomy.org.nz now to find out more.

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