Circular economy

Authors Cathryn O’Sullivan, Maja Arsic, Anton Wasson, Sabrina Greenwood, Pablo Juliano, Colleen MacMillan, Alessio Miatto and Heinz Schandl

Download Circular Economy InsightsPDF2 MB

Key points

  • Australia’s overall material circularity rate is 4.6%, while the circularity rate of biological materials, including those within the food system, is 2.8%.
  • Australia generates 33 million tonnes of organic waste each year, much of which ends up in landfill.
  • Regulatory reform is needed to recognise that historically hard-won protections on human health can be maintained in a more circular economy.
Citation
O’Sullivan C, Arsic M, Wasson A, Greenwood S, Juliano P, MacMillan C, Miatto A and Schandl H (2025) Insight 7: Circular economy. In: Nelson R, Lim-Camacho L and Robinson C (eds) Towards a state of the food system report for Australia. CSIRO, Australia.