Sustainable Solutions Now

What a whirlwind couple of months it’s been at Sustainable Solutions Now! October and November have been jam-packed with impactful events, collaborations, and actions driving sustainability and circular economy initiatives. Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve been up to: ✅ Climateers VIC Food Waste Summit A fantastic opportunity to connect with industry leaders and discuss innovative strategies to tackle food waste in Victoria. ✅ Large-Scale 2-Week Audit with Four Councils in NSW A deep dive into waste, recycling, and #FOGO streams to identify actionable solutions for improved resource management. A total of 7.4 tons and 100,000 litres were audited, highlighting key contaminants in each stream! ✅ Introducing Sarah Furnell We’re thrilled to welcome Sarah Furnell as Head of Growth, whose expertise has been instrumental in driving our next phase. ✅ Waste Expo Australia Joining thought leaders at the largest waste management conference to explore cutting-edge innovations in recycling and waste reduction. ✅ Seven Sisters Festival On the ground, ensuring sustainability, education, and effective recycling were front and center for festival-goers. ✅ Melton City Council Djerriwarrh Festival Representing SSN, Ratio Consulting, and Simply Cups - Paper Cup Recycling Program Cups in partnership with Melton to discuss the coffee cup recycling program. ✅ Exciting Product Announcement Coming Soon We’re putting the finishing touches on our first product, set to launch in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for details! From driving big-picture discussions to taking meaningful action on the ground, it’s been a period of purpose, growth, and impactful connections. We’re proud to be part of such a passionate and innovative community and industry working toward a sustainable future. 🌿✨ #Sustainability #CircularEconomy #FoodWaste #Recycling #WasteReduction #ClimateAction #NationalRecyclingWeek #WasteExpoAustralia #ClimateersSummit

♻️ Happy National Recycling Week! ♻️ As we celebrate this important week, there’s a certain irony in being “boots on the ground” at the Seven Sisters Festival in VIC, where we’re not just talking about recycling—we’re making it happen. 🌏 Our team is here, deep in the action, sorting and recycling on-site to ensure waste is reduced and minimised. We’re grateful to be part of a community that cares about every single item and its journey beyond the bin. 🗑️➡️🌱 And while we’re keeping busy here, there’s even more exciting work that’s been driving our team! Stay tuned—we’ll be sharing some BIG news soon that takes our commitment to sustainable solutions to a whole new level. Let’s keep working together for a cleaner, greener world this National Recycling Week and beyond. 🌿💪 #NationalRecyclingWeek #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #WasteWarriors #SevenSistersFestival #Recycling #StayTuned #SustainableSolutions

♻️ Happy National Recycling Week! ♻️ As we celebrate this important week, there’s a certain irony in being “boots on the ground” at the Seven Sisters Festival in VIC, where we’re not just talking about recycling—we’re making it happen. 🌏 Our team is here, deep in the action, sorting and recycling on-site to ensure waste is reduced and minimised. We’re grateful to be part of a community that cares about every single item and its journey beyond the bin. 🗑️➡️🌱 And while we’re keeping busy here, there’s even more exciting work that’s been driving our team! Stay tuned—we’ll be sharing some BIG news soon that takes our commitment to sustainable solutions to a whole new level. Let’s keep working together for a cleaner, greener world this National Recycling Week and beyond. 🌿💪 #NationalRecyclingWeek #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #WasteWarriors #SevenSistersFestival #Recycling #StayTuned #SustainableSolutions

What an incredible gathering! 🤗 Big thanks to Rob Anderson and the team at Climateers for organising such a fantastic event today! The panel discussions, speed networking, and workshops with focus on food waste minimisation made for an inspiring and productive day. It was a great opportunity to connect with like-minded professionals committed to reducing food waste. A key takeaway from the event was the importance of a collective effort in reducing food waste. While individual actions are crucial, it’s clear that policy and regulation, combined with incentives and education, will be the most effective path to achieving long-term change. Additionally, carbon accounting will play a crucial role in the future, holding organisations accountable for the environmental impact of their entire supply chain. By creating the right frameworks and encouraging participation through these measures, we can drive meaningful progress in food waste reduction. Some of the technologies that stood out the most were the use of larvae to transform food waste into protein and fertiliser (Bardee + CSC Waste & Recycling ) and a humidifier designed to keep produce fresh for longer, resulting in a reduction of food waste in supermarkets (ARECO PACIFIC). The list could go on, with many organisations making impressive work. For example, there are those working hard to divert surplus food from farms and supermarkets, ensuring it reaches the market instead of ending up in landfill, further contributing to waste reduction efforts (Foodbank Victoria, OzHarvest, Farmers Pick, SecondBite). I’d also like to keep sending kudos to Repurpose It for their continued exceptional work in organic waste processing and their commitment to circular economy solutions and education. We're very proud to have sponsored this event and are already looking forward to doing it again next time!

🌍 Sustainable Solutions Now is pleased to support the Climateers Food Waste Action Summit as a Silver Sponsor on October 1st. This summit will bring together local food waste stakeholders, featuring expert panel discussions and collaborative workshops aimed at creating actionable solutions. Innovators and leaders from the food waste sector will share insights and develop strategies to tackle this important issue. We’re excited to be part of these important discussions that will shape the future of sustainability, and we look forward to sharing key insights from the day with you. https://lnkd.in/gyzYZJaR #SustainableSolutionsNow #FoodWaste #CircularEconomy #Climateers #Sponsorship

Join in on our Quarterly Collaborative Insight Webinar on the 17th of September! 📅 Save your spot now 👉 https://lnkd.in/g4Y_csn5 Impact Dragonfly Rejenerate

Sustainability Victoria designs research-led behavioural change campaigns that make it easier for Victorians to adopt sustainable practices into their everyday lives. This week, we were thrilled to launch our latest Small Acts, Big Impact behaviour change campaign, making the most out of your food scraps and garden clippings.   The campaign encourages Victorians to keep rubbish out of their food and garden organics bins, highlighting how food scraps and garden clippings can be turned into high-quality compost for use on farms and gardens across Victoria.   Our research found Victorians were motivated to correctly sort their food and garden organics when they understood that this behaviour would benefit local farmers.   Keep your eyes peeled for campaign activity via social media, SV’s website, local council channels, and public relations and multicultural engagement activity, and feel free to share our content with your communities. The campaign launche­­d on Monday 2 September and will run for 8-weeks through to Sunday 27 October 2024.   To find out more about why keeping rubbish out of your food and garden organics bins matters, visit our campaign webpage: https://lnkd.in/ea_hW7Ys

Driving Sustainability with RFDS! We’re excited to share the impactful results from our recent collaboration with Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (VIC)! When an emissions assessment revealed that 25% of RFDS's CO2 emissions were linked to waste, they focused on addressing the findings.  Our Approach: • Conducted a comprehensive waste audit, analysing waste streams and identifying key contaminants. • Implemented targeted recommendations, including separating e-waste revised cleaner’s processes to ensure recyclables were not bagged. • Advised on improved signage and on optimal bin sizes and collection frequencies. • Engaged with the RFDS team through a Q&A session to discuss insights and industry trends.  Results Achieved: • 43% reduction in waste management costs. • 1,400% increase in recyclables diverted from landfill. • 55% decrease in landfill bin contamination. • 70% decrease in recycling bin contamination. • 76% reduction in collection litres due to optimised processes. • Heightened staff engagement. This is what Jo, Waste Champion and Contract Administrator at RFDS in Essendon had to say about the progress: "The newsletter played a crucial role in getting everyone on board with the waste project. Initially, there were many questions about which bin to use, but after a couple of months, there was a noticeable improvement in understanding and fewer mistakes. Labelling the bins with colours and stickers also made a big difference. While new staff sometimes need guidance, once they’re informed, everything runs smoothly. Overall, the team’s knowledge of waste management has greatly improved, and I plan to share our progress with them so they can see the impact of their efforts." Kudos to the RFDS team for their dedication to sustainability and the impressive progress made! #Sustainability #WasteManagement #RFDS #EnvironmentalImpact #GreenInitiatives

Macedon Ranges Shire Council (MRSC) has recently launched a Shire-wide soft plastic recycling pilot program. Residents and businesses using the Council’s kerbside collection service can now recycle soft plastics using Council-supplied orange bags placed in their yellow-lid recycling bins. Prior to this Shire-wide roll-out, Sustainable Solutions Now conducted an independent waste audit for MRSC, analysing a total of 4 tonnes and 50,000 litres of incoming organics, recycling, and landfill materials. This audit evaluated the composition, weights, and volumes of various waste streams, categorised into over 50 items, providing a baseline for future comparisons to measure the pilot's effectiveness. Our focus areas included: 🔁 Resource Recovery: Assessing organics and recyclables in garbage bins, with a focus on soft plastics recovery. 🔍 Contamination Levels: Evaluating the presence of glass in recycling bins and contaminants in FOGO (Food Organics, Garden Organics) and recycling bins. Additionally, we provided tailored recommendations to MRSC aimed at enhancing recycling rates and reducing contamination. A big shoutout to our dedicated team and on-site staff for their hard work and commitment. If your council needs help understanding its waste habits, get in touch with us! ♻

Always a pleasure coming out to Repurpose It! Their site is incredibly organized, with a strong emphasis on safety, and working with their team is always a pleasure. Their approach to resource recovery is circular and innovative, and is truly commendable. Last week, we had the opportunity to work with Repurpose It once again. Last week, Sustainable Solutions Now had the opportunity to work with Repurpose it again, conducting a baseline contamination audit for their FOGO loads. It was great to catch up with the team members and meet some of their new recruits. Kudos to the Repurpose It team for setting such a high standard in the industry! 👏 #Sustainability #ResourceRecovery #CircularEconomy #Innovation #SafetyFirst #WasteManagement