Latest Updates
AIEN Board member, Robin Branson, retires
We would like to thank Robin Branson, one of AIEN’s founding members, who decided to stand down on 30 June 2020 from his position on the AIEN Board. Robin was considered a pioneer of Industrial Ecology in the world and was a strong advocate of progressing sustainable...
Old tyres and building rubble making sustainable roads
Old tyres and building rubble making sustainable roads Researchers have shown how a blend of old tyres and building rubble could be used as a sustainable road-making material, in a zero-waste solution to boost recycling and support the circular economy. Construction,...
New project to measure the benefits of reusing materials in Australia
A new project aiming to reset Australia’s materials economy has launched, led by researchers from Monash University and representatives from the charity sector. Measuring the Benefits of Reuse in the Circular Economy is a three-year Australian Research Council Linkage...
Recycling cigarette butts into bricks
Researchers have shown how industries could work together to recycle cigarette butts into bricks, in a step-by-step implementation plan for saving energy and solving a global littering problem. Over 6 trillion cigarettes are produced each year globally, resulting in...
AIEN Submission to Redirecting the Future of Plastic in NSW (May 2020)
Growing recognition of plastic’s impact on our environment and human health means we need a comprehensive and bold plan to address this important issue. The discussion paper, Cleaning Up Our Act: Redirecting the Future of Plastic in NSW (released in March 2020) lays...
AIEN Submission to Cleaning Up our Act: The Future for Waste and Resource Recovery in NSW Issues Paper (May 2020)
The NSW 20-Year Waste Strategy is a whole-of-government initiative to provide a long-term strategic direction for communities, industry and all levels of government to work together to build resilient services and markets for waste resources. An issues paper Cleaning...
AIEN Submission to inquiry into Australia’s Waste Management and Recycling Industries (Jan 2020)
On Wednesday 23 October 2019 the Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation, Science and Resources adopted an inquiry referred by the Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, the Hon Karen Andrews MP, asking the Committee to inquire into and report on innovative...
AIEN Submission to the COAG waste export ban consultation
On 9 August 2019, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed Australia should establish a timetable to ban the export of waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres, while building Australia’s capacity to generate high value recycled commodities and associated...
AIEN calls for a unified voice on the importance of EfW in a circular economy
In a recently released report, The Role of Energy from Waste in a Circular Economy: Creating a stable project structure, the Australian Industrial Ecology Network (AIEN) urges State Governments, the resource recovery industry and all stakeholders to find a unified...
AIEN Submission to the QLD Energy from Waste Policy Discussion Paper
Energy from waste (EfW) refers to converting waste materials into fuels, or energy in the form of electricity, heat, or cooling. The Queensland Government has developed a discussion paper that outlines the proposed role for EfW in Queensland, how it could support the...