Australia's linear economy — take, make, dispose — generates approximately 74 million tonnes of waste annually, with only about 59% being recovered or recycled. The circular economy model keeps materials in use for as long as possible, extracts maximum value, then safely recovers and regenerates products and materials. Grant funding supports the repair, reuse, and recycling infrastructure that builds circular economy capacity — from repair cafes and tool libraries to industrial resource recovery and extended producer responsibility advocacy.
The linear problem
Australia generates approximately 74 million tonnes of waste annually:
- Food waste: approximately 7.3 million tonnes per year (about one-third of all food produced)
- Textile waste: approximately 800,000 tonnes per year (mostly to landfill)
- Electronic waste: growing rapidly
- Plastics: poor recycling rates; significant leakage to environment
The circular opportunity
Circular economy creates jobs and economic value:
- Resource recovery industry: significant Australian employer
- Repair and reuse: skilled trades
- Remanufacturing: high-value job creation
- Materials markets: commodities from recovered resources
Policy framework
Australia has committed to:
- National Waste Policy 2019
- 2030 National Waste Policy Action Plan targets
- Export ban on unprocessed waste (driving domestic resource recovery)
- Product stewardship (industry responsibility for end-of-life)
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
EPA Australia / State EPAs
Waste management and resource recovery regulation and grants.
ARENA and CEFC
Some circular economy-relevant energy and industrial funding.
State governments
Recycling and resource recovery grants — major in VIC (Sustainability Victoria), NSW (EPA), QLD, WA.
Sustainability Victoria
Major funder for resource recovery in Victoria.
Paul Ramsay Foundation
Systems change including circular economy elements.
Lord Mayor's Charitable Fund
Sustainability and waste reduction.
The Myer Foundation
Environment including circular economy.
Hatch (Circular Economy)
Dedicated circular economy innovation funder.
Social enterprise incubators
Several social enterprise programs fund circular economy startups.
Repair and reuse
Food waste
Textile and fashion
Electronic waste
Industrial and commercial
Plastic reduction
Composting and organics
Social enterprise circular economy
Education and behaviour change
Research and innovation
Australia's right to repair movement — following similar movements in the US and Europe — argues that manufacturers should be required to:
- Provide repair information
- Make spare parts available
- Not void warranties for third-party repair
Grant funding for right to repair advocacy supports legislative and regulatory reform that enables repair at scale.
Jobs and community
Circular economy programmes create local employment — particularly for disadvantaged people in social enterprise repair and recovery operations. Applications that demonstrate employment co-benefits are more compelling to employment and community funders.
System-level change
Individual repair cafes and recycling schemes are valuable but insufficient at scale. Applications combining direct circular economy activity with advocacy for systemic change — product stewardship, extended producer responsibility, right to repair — are more ambitious.
Social enterprise model
The most financially sustainable circular economy programmes are social enterprises that generate revenue from recovered materials or services. Applications with clear social enterprise business models are more investable.
Measurement
Circular economy programmes should measure tonnes diverted from landfill, jobs created, and community benefit. Applications with clear measurement frameworks are more credible.
Tahua's grants management platform supports circular economy funders and zero-waste organisations — with materials recovery tracking, programme reach data, community engagement measurement, and the reporting tools that help circular economy funders demonstrate their investment in Australia's transition to a more sustainable, regenerative economy.