WEALTH FROM WASTE CLUSTER
Wealth from Waste is a three-year research program that builds on work undertaken by the Mineral Futures Collaboration Cluster (2009-2012). It focuses on ‘mining’ above ground resources, which are the metals contained in collections of discarded manufactured products and consumer goods.
The Wealth from Waste Cluster was funded by the CSIRO Flagship Collaboration Fund, supported by Mineral Resources Flagship and Manufacturing Flagship. Partner universities include:
- The University of Technology, Sydney
- Monash University
- The University of Queensland
- Swinburne University of Technology
- Yale University (USA)
Teams drawn from the different universities and disciplines are undertaking four distinct, but interconnected, research programs to develop a better understanding of this complex landscape and possible pathways for change.
Cluster Research Programs – Leadership and Key Research Questions
Latest News
16 November 2017
Wealth from Waste final report launched
The Wealth from Waste cluster has launched the report ‘Australian Opportunities in a Circular Economy for Metals: Findings of the Wealth from Waste Cluster’. This…
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11 August 2016
Upcoming UTS public lecture: Global Update on Circular Economy (16 Aug)
International expert, Dr Barbara Reck, from the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (USA) is visiting UTS on the 16th August to share her insights on…
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3 June 2015
ISF has launched an ‘Action Agenda for a Circular Economy’ at the World Resources Forum
The action agenda identifies new frontiers of innovation in a circular economy by seeking connection between stakeholders and sectors whose current interactions are limited. For…
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CLUSTER PROGRAM OVERVIEW
PROGRAM 1
University of Queensland and Swinburne University of Technology
Recycling Systems: Barriers and Enablers for Industrial Ecology in Australia
The Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining at the University of Queensland leads this program, which also includes the Swinburne University of Technology. This program is identifying the most favourable systems for recycling and industrial ecology and articulating barriers, enablers and policy options for their deployment in Australia, with a particular focus on complex and high value materials.
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PROGRAM 2
Monash University and Yale University
Future Resource Value: Characterising Stocks and Mapping Impacts
This program is led by Monash University and includes Yale University. This program is developing an evidence base of the quantity of accessible resources from above-ground stocks and characterising this resource in terms of accessibility, both geographically and socio-economically, through a investigation of the values and systems that surround these resources across the value chain.
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PROGRAM 3
University of Technology, Sydney
Business Models for Future Value Chains
This program is led by the Institute for Sustainable Futures at UTS, and includes the UTS Business School. This program is focused on understanding how value of recycled resources can be captured. This program is investigating emerging business models for manufacturing and services that involve recycling of metal/ material inputs and outputs and characterizing the emergent metals recycling industry options for Australia.
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PROGRAM 4
University of Technology, Sydney
Transition Pathways for Leadership in Resource Stewardship
This program, led by the Institute for Sustainable Futures, aims to identify transition pathways that can be pursued to ensure that Australia can generate wealth from waste. It involves the synthesis and analysis of cross Cluster research outputs, as well as integrative stakeholder engagement activities to determine key parameters for understanding existing and future capability for taking part in a local recycling system.
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