GUEST EXPERT: EMILY JONES, PROGRAM OFFICER – VICTORIA GOVERNMENT CEBIC

This year Sustainability Victoria launched CEBIC, the Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre. We were fortunate enough to sit down & interview Emily Jones, (Acting Program Officer Business Innovation | Regions & Partnerships), to discuss the CEBIC & the exciting growing focus on Circular Economies within our local communities.

Emily is a circular economy pioneer with a passion for supporting businesses to innovate and transition towards a resilient, circular economy. She is an alumni of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s global From Linear To Circular program and currently advises on the Victorian Government’s Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre (CEBIC).  The CEBIC seeks to support business and industry to innovate, adopt, and implement circular economy opportunities and business models.

LUP: Thanks for sitting down with us today Emily.

Emily: Thanks so much for having me! It’s great to reconnect with LUP Global after having Noreen speak at our Melbourne Knowledge Week event earlier this year.

LUP: Could you please advise why CEBIC was established and what your main mission is?

Emily: We know that businesses will play a pivotal role over the next decade in transitioning our economy to one that is more circular and regenerative. The Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre (CEBIC) was established by the Victorian Government under the Recycling Victoria policy to support and empower Victorian businesses to take circular action.
This is the main mission of the CEBIC and we are achieving it by:
 bringing together businesses, industry bodies, research organisations, governments, and communities to collaborate and respond to innovation challenges

 fostering innovation projects across supply chains to reduce waste, increase re-use and repair
and generate new streams of revenue for business
 encouraging investment and leverage Victoria’s design and engineering expertise
 partnering with other organisations that are also supporting businesses to transition to align
efforts

LUP: What type of businesses can access CEBIC support and how?

Emily: The CEBIC is for businesses large and small, across all industries, who are ready to take action to become circular. We have a variety of options for support including:
 Thought-leadership events that bring together a panel of experts to discuss opportunities across the circular economy (such as our Melbourne Knowledge Week event that we had Noreen speak at).
 Industry workshops and roundtables to bring together stakeholders to identify barriers and solutions to overcome them.
 Publication of research and insights.
 Funding programs that allow businesses to act and scale up innovative circular initiatives.
 One to one chats available for businesses with a rep from CEBIC.

To get involved, businesses can start with a visit to the CEBIC Virtual Hub where they can subscribe to receive news and updates of opportunities within the Victorian Circular Economy.
https://www.cebic.vic.gov.au/

What´s on the agenda for the next 6-12 months and how can we at (L)ove (U)r (P)lanet and our broader network help?

Emily: Over the next 6-12 months we will be continuing to focus our efforts on enabling circular innovation and collaboration across industries and supply chains. The LUP network can play a big role in this. If you have an idea for your industry, intel to share or simply want to introduce yourself reach out to us at https://www.cebic.vic.gov.au/about-us/contact-us.

While we focus on all industries, each financial year we appoint a focus area that allows us to direct resources to focus efforts on waste reduction and materials efficiency in that industry. For 21-22, our focus is enabling a circular textiles economy.

More about CEBIC and how to get involved can be found here: https://www.cebic.vic.gov.au/about-us

Image Credit: Katumba Badru Hidden Flows Photo Showcase

LUP: What’s been happening with ACEN? Has COVID affected the work that ACEN is doing? When we last spoke, you mentioned ACEN was now planning the 1st Pan African Circular Economy Conference to take place in 2021. Is this still happening?

Peter: As you can imagine, since my first interview, the circular economy has gained a lot more attention globally. We are also seeing a great deal of interest in how circular principles can benefit the development of African countries through greater international co-operation and support. This has been seen in the positive responses we have received from ACEN’s participation in writing of 8 country reports and a continental report on EU-Africa co-operation for the European Commission.

The level of ACEN’s activity in this space has increased in the last 12 months as international funds are more available for CE projects. COVID has had an impact how we work as face-to-face meetings have often been difficult to achieve. Online meeting platforms have helped considerably and reduced travel costs, but in Africa personal contact is an important element of how research and implementation are undertaken.

We are now involved in several projects as part of consortia bidding for competitive tenders such as Horizon 2020 funding as well as invitations to lead or contribute to research projects. These include policy development for circular food systems, circular entrepreneur incubation and scoping studies for circular business platforms in two African countries.

ACEN has recently signed a co-operation agreement with partners in Portugal (CECOLAB) and Brazil (Exchange 4 Change) as part of a South / South / North collaboration initiative to facilitate interaction on circular economy between Europe, Latin America and Africa. The aim is to share knowledge between the Global South and Global North to create opportunities for spurring innovation and making the transition more equitable by creating green jobs and lowering environmental impacts. The increasingly worldwide development of CE is the establishment of The Global Alliance on Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency. 

There are some exciting developments in the work that ACEN is doing with universities and learning institutions across the continent. We now have an Academic Programme in place which comprises the African CE Research Group and a working group developing CE curriculum for students and training material for business. 

ACEN Foundation:  https://acenfoundation.org/

A significant initiative in ACEN’s development has been the establishment of the ACEN Foundation in partnership with Trinomics, a Dutch sustainability consultancy, with whom we worked on the European Commission reports. The Foundation works across Africa to implement circular strategies and projects, enhance capacity amongst practitioners in the private and public sector, fundraise for the delivery of projects, and support entrepreneurs to develop unique circular business models. This collaboration will produce a greater impact than would be possible by each organisation working separately.

You asked about the Africa Circular conference. We still have ambitions! With the arrival of COVID we have had to postpone our plans for a single Pan-African in-person event. We are considering the idea of a series of workshops to be organised by our Country Chapters with the support of governments and businesses. As regards a continent-wide conference, it is possible that the World Circular Economy Forum will be held in Africa at some point in the future; we are in discussion with the organising team at SITRA as to how ACEN can collaborate in the organisation of the conference. 

LUP: In this new global landscape, how can businesses or individuals best get involved in Circular Economies in general, and more specifically with an organisation such as ACEN?

Peter: There are many ways of engaging in the subject of the circular economy. Catherine Weetman at Rethink Global produces “The Circular Economy Podcast” and has recently published the second edition of her book “A Circular Economy Handbook” The Ellen MacArthur Foundation website provides a huge amount of resources. Finally, here is a suggestion for those just starting in exploring the subject: “Circular Economy for Dummies”.

Anyone interested in being involved or supporting ACEN’s work can take a look on our website at our new Membership Programme. If anyone reading this is based in Africa and have a professional interest in applying circularity in their work, they can apply to become a Country Representative or a Chapter Member. If their organisation or academic institution wishes to contribute to our work, there are separate categories for each. Otherwise, there are two categories for individuals (Friend of ACEN) and students who wish to be kept informed about ACEN’s work through newsletters and events. We also have LinkedIn and Facebook groups that people can join to share ideas and projects.

ACEN is action focussed and so we continue to explore opportunities for collaboration to develop and implement projects on the ground. A good example of this is the initiative established by Footprints Africa to research circular case studies – report and map created for us by a UNEP partner, GRID-Arendal. If anyone would like to add a circular case study from Africa to the database, they can do so via this link. 

Photo at Suame Magazine, Kumasi, Ghana – repair of cocoa trucks in the:  https://asantemanweb.com/suame-magazine-in-the-ermerging-ghana-automotive-industry/

LUP: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Peter: Yes, I just wanted to note that circularity has been practised across Africa for generations, to a large extent out of necessity. This image is of cocoa trucks being repaired at the Suame Magazine hub in Kumasi, Ghana where replacements were not available and spare parts were manufactured. The area is made up of 12,000 small scale engineering industries, repair works, scrap yards, workshops with a working population of about 200,000 supporting the livelihood of over 600,000 people. We also conscious that 

Higher income countries have much to learn from indigenous practices in Africa which are regenerative and restorative in nature and contribute towards circular thinking. In Europe and North America we focus on measuring success through a very blunt instrument called GDP (Gross Domestic Product) yet it says nothing about people’s well-being. In fact, the word ‘economy’ comes from the Greek word ‘oikonomia’ which means ‘household management’. The word ‘wealth’ comes from the Middle English meaning ‘well-being’. So rather than expecting countries to achieve continuous GDP growth, we should be focusing on ways to ensure the ongoing health and well-being of individuals within the limits of our planet’s resources – along the lines of Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics.

Thank-you so much for your generosity Peter, we are delighted to have you continuing to help us learn through your experiences about this shared passion!

To contact Peter and ACEN:  

peter.desmond@acen.africa  

www.acen.africa

Read the first part of the interview HERE.

For the original interview with Peter back in 2019 click HERE .

We are delighted to share that LUP Global was fortunate to be invited to partake in this year’s Melbourne Knowledge Week event ”Smart & Circular” on 29th April 2021. The event was organized by Sustainability Victoria, Planet Ark & the City of Melbourne.

Our participation took place during an expert panel discussion titled ”SMART AND CIRCULAR: Learn about the potency of data and technology to cut waste and enable circular economy business models”, with other inspiring guest panelists, including:

Lachlan Feggans – Brambles

Marjon Wind – Madaster

Mark Mitchell – SuperCool

Hosted by Jodie Bricout, one of Australia’s leading Circular Economies experts, our Founder & CEO, Noreen Kam, discussed how LUP uses data as a foundation to enable our exclusive Circular Asset Database to maximise the value of under-utilized assets and avoid sending valuable equipment to landfill.

A Circular Economy needs more events like this, creating ecosystems where governments, businesses, organisations, and people adopt circular practices to create a world where nothing goes to waste. Melbourne has plenty of pioneers fostering a culture of collaboration with like-minded businesess, and we are proud of this great achievement!

Take a look at this video from the event HERE.

We recently had the chance to work with Branding Consultant Lee Whitfield. Lee has worked in the USA, Europe and Asia but now lives in Melbourne, Australia. While he has worked for some of the world’s largest corporations, Lee focuses on social enterprises and how organisations are able to better market & ‘brand’ themselves for greater social impact. We were fortunate to sit down with Lee today for this guest interview, and wanted to share some of his insights for how your organisation can build a more socially responsible & conscious brand.

LUP: Thank-you for sitting down with us today Lee.

LEE: My pleasure. Thank you for having me over to do this interview. Following the Covid rules of course! I’m always happy to share my experience and knowledge with anyone looking to make a positive impact. Also, I would like to say, that I really like what you are doing at LUP Global. I think it is a signpost to the future and something every company should be embracing. 

LUP: Thank-you Lee, you are most kind!

Please tell us more about why it is important for companies today to not only focus on social outcomes but to have ‘brands’ that can clearly embody this?

LEE: I work with lots of businesses that really struggle to find points of difference from their competitors. While I can create some lovely Brand Communication for them, this on its own isn’t really enough to make them preferential or stand out. To ensure their products get chosen over the competition, it’s important to go deeper and an add more substance to what they are doing, such as adding social & environmental outcomes. Aligning a company with a not for profit organisation, an ethical cause or simply switching to more sustainable materials/ingredients provides a really compelling reason to pick one Brand over another.

Everyone likes to buy things from “the good guys” (Not the company!) We want to feel we are spending our money, not just on a good product, but also that we are supporting a good person or company. That’s how companies with positive social & environmental outcomes really win out, especially when there is lots of competition.

So there really are a lot of benefits but what is important is that customers believe a company is genuinely committed to the cause.

LUP: You mentioned whilst reviewing the branding for LUP, that being “genuinely committed” is important and unfortunately greenwashing can be common, in particular for large corporates for example, in order to just get a social ‘tick of approval’. Can you please clarify what you mean by ‘Greenwashing’?

LEE: Yes, this is super important. Customers need to be confident that it’s not just a marketing gimmick. Simply claiming to be “green” or as we call it “greenwashing” is a very common practice now. There are lots of companies claiming to support positive social & environmental outcomes but in truth are doing the complete opposite. So making sure that those outcomes are genuine and authentic really matters. 

The trick is putting these activities front and centre of the Brand. Sharing these activities on social media, at point of sale, on websites and anywhere the Brand meets customers. Also to do it in quantifiable and tangible ways that are demonstrable and measurable. Shifting Brand communication activities away from special offers and competitions, that often are simply Brand awareness activities anyway, to positive social and environmental outcomes is what is needed. That is also better for the perceived value of the Brand too. 

LUP: If you had 3 main take-aways for an organisation looking at how to better market or brand themselves in order to make the greatest social impact, what would they be?

LEE: 1 -Be real, be genuine. Either; pick a social outcome that is close to the business owners’ heart, or align with the companies’ activities, or pick something employees deeply care about. Look for the negatives in what the company does. If it’s a carbon intensive company then plant trees. If it’s a coffee shop then think about where that coffee comes from and what you could do in that region for the local people or environment.

2- Pick something ALL the company can get involved with. Pick something that everyone will want to champion and be proud of. Really good social and environmental outcome projects can lift the spirits of all employees and make them feel good about coming to work each day. Just raising money and giving it away does not have the same impact. Lots of studies show that working in a soup kitchen for the homeless has much more value and leaves a longer lasting impression than simply writing cheques.  

3- Take real tangible action that is demonstrable and measurable. Bank Australia has created a Wildlife Refuge in Victoria. It’s very real. You can go there and see it. They can talk about the wildlife that is retiring to the area in their Brand communication. They can show how biodiversity is returning, how the area is greening. While most companies can’t afford to do this they can apply the same ideas on a smaller scale. Pick projects that will give you ongoing content for social media and Brand communication.

LUP: Thanks so much for your time today Lee, great insights & if anyone wants to find out more or get in touch with Lee, you can contact him at: www.melbournebranding.com 

Equipment utilisation, also known as asset utilisation, measures the usage and efficiency of site capital equipment and machinery. It helps businesses increase worksite productivity, thus reducing equipment rental rates (if applicable) and production delays.

Yet, under-utilised and aging asset management are sometimes opposing business strategies with the markets becoming highly competitive.

Credit Capital CEO Alister Clare shares how he reaped benefits from effective asset management programs. According to him, “In my experience, predetermined operations, such as shifts in production footprint, facility extension, cost-cutting programs, or infrastructure improvements, account for almost 90% of idle assets. Therefore, to minimise waste and profit loss, resolving all these considerations is crucial.”

On the grounds of these circumstances, the following are central points to help you maximise value from your under-utilised assets.

In this latest blog, our guest expert author Christopher Clark outlines some examples of how from an individual consumers perspective you can apply some of the commercial methods businesses adopt to prolong the lifecycle of your consumer assets.

Repurpose 

Instead of throwing out a piece of under-utilised equipment, there are many options for repurposing it. For example, from a consumer perspective converting your mobile phone into a surveillance camera, using it as a remote media control or retooling it as a backup emergency phone are only a few suggestions. Similarly, old tablets may be used as a music player, repurposed as an e-reader, converted into a standalone cookbook, or used as a secondary display for a computer. 

In doing so, you make the most out of your assets and, more importantly, contribute to the betterment of the environment by reducing waste.

Refurbish And Resell 

Refurbishing and reselling your under-utilised asset is an excellent way to make the most value out of it. For instance, you can make something out of a seldom-used computer by cleaning, repairing, and reselling it. But, before you do so, evaluate the functionality of your assets before reselling them. Some equipment may even be worth more and could earn you more money.

Redeploy 

Redeploying means identifying existing unused equipment to be redeployed for a particular business or work process. The process is achieved by matching the equipment needed for the project to the existing underused equipment. The asset managers will assess how the available under-utilised assets can be made helpful with minimal modifications to the project. What type of assets do you have lying around your home or business that could potentially be redeployed?

Opt For Discount And Trade-in

There are manufacturing companies or distributors that accept trade-ins or offer discounts for equipment when clients buy something new. In this process, organisations may consider whether the assets that would be declared under-utilised may be resold to a manufacturing company for cash or accepted in return for a discount on purchasing new equipment. 

Alternatively, some qualified vendors might be able to find potential buyers for these valuable assets. However, when significant purchases are arranged at a low-cost trade-in or discount to the retailer, this strategy can help negotiate.

Under-utilised Assets Are Valued At LUP Global—The Champions Of Asset Management

In businesses that operate in dynamically developing markets, the proportion of assets declared as under-utilised or obsolete could be higher. In these situations, finding the best compromise between a business’s different goals, such as introducing innovative products or becoming the leader in their field, and the possibility of losing money because of an asset is critical. 

LUP Global has a holistic approach and end-to-end asset management strategies tailored to your unique business needs, allowing you to control your investments and improve their efficiency effectively. On top of these, our overarching motivation is making the planet a better place to live —for us and for the generations to come.

Written By: Christopher Clark