NESP SCaW Project IP6.05.01C - Practical support for business circular economy transitions, 2026-2026 (UNSW, MU)

Broad community engagement is increasingly recognised as an essential dimension of accelerating progress toward the circular economy. However, the potential for adverse public responses to specific circular economy (CE) initiatives, coupled with increasingly stringent regulatory responses to the recirculation of hazardous materials, constitutes a key challenge for the CE. This project will serve as a continuation of the scoping project, using its outcomes to guide the direction and focus areas of the broader initiative. The scoping project will inform the umbrella project through reviewing relevant scholarly and policy literatures, in combination with community engagement and co-design approaches. Through these actives the directions for IP6 research will be scoped out in alignment with community needs and identified research gaps. The aim is to establish an umbrella project that defines guidelines and directions for selecting various sub-projects also includes the delivery of these yet-to-be determined sub-projects. These sub-projects will collectively enable us to achieve the overarching objective of promoting safe circularity. By providing a structured framework for project selection, this initiative will ensure that all efforts align with the broader aspects of safe circularity, addressing both community engagement and regulatory compliance. This approach will help mitigate potential challenges and accelerate the transition towards a sustainable circular economy