We are thrilled to announce that the Hunter Circular Hub came first in our division, and highly commended overall, at the 2023 Excellence in the Environment Awards for the Transition to a Circular Economy category. Additionally, we were invited to present the project at the finalists’ forum during the Built Environment session.

The Hunter Circular Hub, a collaborative initiative led by the Hunter JO on behalf of the region’s councils, earned its place among the finalists for its approach to circular ecosystem engagement. The hub serves as the region’s go-to resource for circular economy best practice and boasts a proactive ecosystem engagement program. It was designed to stimulate collaboration, innovation and the visibility of circular economy initiatives.

Objectives of the Hunter Circular Hub:

• Proactively engage and grow the circular economy ecosystem in the region
• Stimulate interconnectivity and collaboration between stakeholders within the ecosystem to foster innovation
• Promote the visibility of circular economy initiatives in the region
• Provide a means for best practice knowledge sharing to occur within the region

The Hunter Circular Hub draws its strength from a cross-sector collaboration, leveraging the resources funded by the NSW Regional Coordination Program and the Better Waste and Recycling Fund (EPA), alongside various in-kind contributions. The foundation of the hub is rooted in years of extensive groundwork, including the Ecosystem Mapping Project, Material Flow Analysis, and Circle City Scan, undertaken as part of a collective impact model.

In the last twelve months, the Hunter Circular Hub has achieved significant outcomes, including the development of Hunter and Central Coast Circular Economy Roadmap, commissioning the Circular Economy Event Strategy, hosting capacity building events in the region, and launching the Hunter Circular Digital Hub. Other noteworthy accomplishments include the Textiles Circularity project, the region’s first circular economy metrics survey, and sharing local initiatives through newsletters and case studies.

Congratulations to other finalists and the overall winner of the Transition to a Circular Economy category, Northern Beaches Council.