Policy and impact
Major transformations like a circular economy require coordinated action towards common goals. Using our expertise in systems and behavioural change, we help shape policy, set agendas and build narratives to deliver the real-world impact needed.
MSDI works with policymakers, philanthropists and practitioners to devise practical solutions to some of the most pressing resourcing problems faced by Australia and its region. We begin by deeply understanding the problem: its causes and consequences, who is affected and how. But we don’t stop there. We design innovative and integrated solutions and build pathways for implementation. We help unpack complex problems, build capacity, design and test solutions, and transform systems for sustainable development.
Behavioural roadmap to circular consumption
Building on three years of research with government partners and Australian circular economy stakeholders, this innovative project combined systems thinking and behavioural science to produce a roadmap of the behaviour change needed to transform Australia’s systems of production and consumption towards a circular economy.
The Behavioural Roadmap identifies where policy-makers and industry can intervene in the production - consumption cycle to create change, reduce Australia’s material footprint and encourage an efficient use of limited resources as the most effective way to confront the ongoing waste crisis. Recommendations have been presented directly to the Australian, Victorian and NSW Governments.
Transitions to a circular textile economy in Australia
Our team helped to shape Victorian Government recycling policy to include textiles waste which is a significant contributor to landfill. The project published a research report in consultation with 11 fashion industry groups who provided their perspectives and experiences on the textile circular economy.
The report helped put circular textiles in the public eye and generate public dialogue. Throughout the project the team fostered an open dialogue with the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) which created opportunities to influence textiles being included in the government’s new recycling policy. And our team is now facilitating workshops with Sustainability Victoria (SV) to help them implement their textile recycling priority initiatives across the state.
Waste and circular economy collaboration
The Waste and Circular Economy Collaboration was a major research collaboration led by MSDI’s BehaviourWorks Australia, in partnership with Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water; the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action; Sustainability Victoria; Environment Protection Authority Victoria; and NSW Environment Protection Authority, with contributions from the NSW Department of Planning, Industry, and Environment.
It aimed to leverage the combined missions, reach, resources and expertise of the government partners to explore how behavioural science can be used to identify policy and practice solutions to encourage households, businesses and the Australian community to avoid, reduce, reuse and recycle our previous resources and transition to a circular economy. Particularly, it explored multiple parts of the system, including upstream adoption of circular economy business models, circular purchase choices and downstream household recycling.