Partnerships for a circular transition

A/Prof Glen Croy, Prof Amrik Sohal and Dr Alka Nand, 2025

The current linear economy model generates waste at an astronomical scale. In Victoria alone, this equates to 4.5m tonnes of landfill per annum, constituting $1.3b of lost economic value. Unfortunately, these huge numbers are repeated around the world. The circular economy is seen as the solution, however the needed transition is going much too slow.

To accelerate the circular transition, Amrik Sohal, Glen Croy, Alka Nand, and colleagues have crafted collaborations to address key sticking points and magnify the possibility for change. Each of these collaborations has purposefully brought influential circular actors together.

Their first focus has been on raising awareness of and confidence in the circular economy. For this, they have hosted the annual Monash University Circular Economy Forums. At each Forum, circular achievements from industry, government and research are showcased, and the audience of industry leaders and policymakers explore actionable strategies for circular transformation.

The second focus has been advancing the front of the circular transition. Through their regular Monash University Circular Roundtable, they have brought together circularity leaders, from government and industry, in a collegial environment to share experiences, opportunities, and challenges, which fosters and encourages accelerated advancement at the leading edge of the circular transition.

The third focus is on building on advancing research to foster this circular transition at an international level. They have now co-hosted three International Circular Economy Workshops, building collaborations for research leadership in circular action (each hosted in Italy). The workshops have established strong circular research capacity across 12-partner universities, and a number of other participants. Each workshop has fostered research collaborations for impact at-scale.