The $7 million Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre (CEBIC) has launched in Victoria to bring together businesses, industry groups, research institutions and not-for-profit organisations to create solutions to reduce waste, increase recycling and reuse, and generate new revenue for Victorian businesses.
Launched by Victorian Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio, the centre will work with a variety of businesses — from farms and cafes to factories and appliance shops — to streamline the way they operate, improve efficiency and reduce waste.
CEBIC will undertake research and offer expert advice and resources through a virtual hub. The hub will also facilitate collaboration and events, and offer grants and support for businesses.
The initial focus will be on reducing food and organic waste, which currently costs the Victorian economy over $6 billion each year.
This work will build off Sustainability Victoria’s successful Love Food Hate Waste program that has helped reduce the 250,000 tonnes of edible food that are thrown away by households each year.
To mark CEBIC’s launch, the first round of the $10 million Recycling Victoria Business Support Fund is now open. The fund will help businesses, industry groups and not-for-profit organisations to improve resource efficiency, reduce waste to landfill, increase recycling and reduce their operating costs.
The first round of the $3 million Recycling Victoria Innovation Fund is also now available. This funding will support partnerships between businesses, industry groups, research institutions, community groups and charities to identify, develop and scale up more environmentally sustainable opportunities and business models.
The centre is part of Recycling Victoria — the government’s action plan and investment of more than $300 million to transform the state’s recycling sector, create thousands of jobs and set Victoria up for a more sustainable future.
“This new centre will spark innovation and help businesses to make sustainable changes and reduce waste,” D’Ambrosio said.
“This will gather some of the best minds and research about recycling innovation, so that Victorian businesses can get the most out of their materials.”
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