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Closing the Loop - Developing Better Waste Re-use Systems

There is increasing pressure worldwide for firms to become more efficient in their use of resources and to reduce waste emissions to landfill, air and water. Consequently, individual firms and groups of firms are seeking to develop innovative and commercially attractive alternatives to waste disposal. Wastes are increasingly being regarded as 'by-products' rather than wastes and one firm's waste is increasingly being regarded as another's input.

Closing the loop requires understanding the nature of the waste streams and the options for transforming these into re-usable inputs. Because many rural towns tend to have similar waste streams, this study laid the groundwork for the development of industrial ecosystems in regional Australia.

Related publications

Closing the Loop - Project Brochure
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Completed in 2004

Funded by: NSW Department of Environment and Conservation

The University of New England respects and acknowledges that its people, courses and facilities are built on land, and surrounded by a sense of belonging, both ancient and contemporary, of the world's oldest living culture. In doing so, UNE values and respects Indigenous knowledge systems as a vital part of the knowledge capital of Australia. We recognise the strength, resilience and capacity of the Aboriginal community and pay our respects to the Elders past, present and future.