Toolkit to help businesses become more ‘circular’

Published on 20 March 2024

Circular Economy Toolkit group photo

Hepburn Shire Council has launched its Circular Hepburn Toolkit for Business and Beyond, a guide to help local businesses to reduce costs, reduce their impact on the environment and boost the circular economy. 

“The circular economy tackles climate change and other global challenges like biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution, and reconnects people to each other and the natural systems.  

Many aspects of the circular economy are already well established in local businesses because they make good business sense.  

“Practices like picking up goods for someone else, repurposing, sharing, refurbishing and repairing, are all ways that local businesses are contributing to a circular economy,” said Mayor, Cr Brian Hood. 

The Circular Hepburn Toolkit embraces these ideas and more and is designed for businesses of any size or sector.  

“Our aim in creating the toolkit is to help business operators to understand more about what the circular economy is and learn how their business and partners can benefit from becoming more ‘circular’,” said Cr Hood. 

The outcome of improved practices would be an economy, community and environment that are healthier, stronger and more resilient. 

Council launched the toolkit at the Sustainable Hepburn Day Out held on Saturday 16 March in Daylesford. 

Mayor, Cr Brian Hood, said he was proud to make the announcement of the toolkit’s launch during his welcome speech at the commencement of the popular event.  

“We had local business operators and community members representing circular economy leadership across a range of sectors; including food and beverage, housing, fashion and more at Sustainable Hepburn Day Out,” said Cr Hood.  

“There really are some extraordinary businesses in our Shire leading in the circular economy area, including designing buildings for disassembly (Inquire Invent), catering for events with food from farms that would otherwise be thrown away (Happy Scraps), and offering Australia’s only 100% traceable, biodegradable and compostable underwear and t-shirts (Farm to Hanger),” he said. 

“We want to encourage other businesses to see how they can benefit from embracing a circular economy.” 

The toolkit comprises a booklet, a Card Deck of Circular Economy Strategies, and an accompanying webpage, which together:  

  • Explain the concept of circular economy and how it is being developed in Hepburn Shire 
  • Detail inspiring local circular economy case studies 
  • Bring to life 14 strategies for bringing “circularity” into your business, including prompt questions to kickstart your circular economy journey 
  • Benefit businesses of the circular economy  
  • Provide links to circular economy tools, resources and stories from around the world. 

Hepburn Shire businesses are invited to download the Toolkit and Cards from Council’s website at www.hepburn.vic.gov.au/toolkit   

“We’re encouraging local business operators to trial these resources and share their experience,” said Cr Hood.   

Printed copies of the Toolkit and Strategy Cards are also available from Council’s Circular Economy Officer Jodi Newcombe at jnewcombe@hepburn.vic.gov.au.  

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Pictured: Circular economy leaders and local government representatives holding up the Circular Hepburn Toolkit and Strategy Cards.  

From left to right:  

Back row: Nikki Marshall, Daylesford Repair Café; Mayor Brian Hood; Nicolas Galik, Hepburn Springs Brewing Co; Katherine Lewisohn, Inquire Invent; Councillor Tim Drylie; Manny Pasqualini, Sustainability and Climate Resilience Coordinator, Hepburn Shire Council; Councillor Jen Bray;  

Front row: Rachael Yeo, Happy Scraps; Anna-Louise Howard, Farm to Hanger; Jodi Newcombe, Circular Economy Officer, Hepburn Shire Council.  

 

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