Our work

Last updated: 22 April 2024
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Our portfolio of work highlights the programs that Sustainability Victoria (SV) delivers to shape Victoria’s circular economy on behalf of state government and transition our state to a circular, climate resilient economy. They explain 'What SV does', demonstrate the breadth of our work and services, and the dynamic nature of how we adapt to the most critical needs of the government, councils, industry and the community.

We’ve showcased both current work and programs where our involvement may have concluded in the recent past. These programs may still be either in post-delivery phase or are ongoing with support from councils, industry or community groups. For a more in depth look at the programs SV has delivered in our long history, then have a look at the full timeline at Our history.

Recycling Infrastructure Modernisation
The modernisation and upgrading of Victoria’s Recycling infrastructure ensures that we have the right future capacity for the processing and recovery of paper, plastic, glass, tyres, textiles, organics, and hazardous waste.
Start date: 2017
End date: 2025
Location: Statewide
Eligibility: Private sector – new infrastructure or upgrades
Partners: Federal Government, DEECA, industry partners
Key components: Investment grants, facility upgrades
Participants: 85 projects
Funding: Recycling Modernisation Fund (2022-24), Circular Economy Infrastructure Fund (2022-24), Resource Recovery Infrastructure Fund (2017-21)
Markets acceleration
Sustainability Victoria develops and accelerates new markets for recycled materials as part of our role in shaping the circular economy. As we expand our capacity to sort and process materials, we need to design new ways to use the recovered materials in manufacturing and construction.
Start date: 2016
End date: 2025
Location: Statewide
Eligibility: Industry, research institutes and academia
Partners: Industry partners
Key components: Grants, research and developments roadmaps, specialist support and advice
Participants: 85 research and development projects
Funding: Circular Economy Infrastructure Fund: Materials (2022-25) , Circular Economy Research and Development Fund (2021-24), Circular Economy Markets Fund: Organics (2022-24), Sustainable Infrastructure Fund (2019-22), Research, Development and Demonstration Grants (2016-21)
Investment facilitation
Sustainability Victoria’s investment facilitation service offers personalised support for projects and companies that invest in Victoria’s circular economy. We work with current and prospective investors from within Victoria, interstate and international markets.
Start date: 2017
End date: Ongoing
Location: Statewide
Eligibility: Private sector
Partners: Invest Victoria, Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions, Invest Assist, councils
Key components: 1-to-1 specialist advice, networking and partner match making, single point of contact, awareness of open grant opportunities
Participants: Industry
Funding: Sustainability Fund, private investment, multiple government funds
Research, insights and circular economy expertise
Sustainability Victoria provides an evidence base and expertise for shaping Victoria’s circular economy providing state government and program leads with the research, foresight and insights to make informed decisions.
Start date: 2010
End date: Ongoing
Location: Statewide
Eligibility: N/A
Partners: DEECA, research institutes, academia
Key components: Research, behavioural insights, horizon scanning, circular economy expertise
Participants: Victorian households, SV program participants
Funding: Sustainability Fund
ResourceSmart Schools
ResourceSmart Schools is an award-winning program delivered by Sustainability Victoria that helps schools to embed sustainability across the school facilities, community and curriculum.
Start date: 2008
End date: Ongoing
Location: Statewide
Eligibility: All Victorian schools
Partners: Department of Education, CERES, Environment Education Australia, Eastern Alliance for Sustainable Learning (EASL)
Key components: RSS Online, RSS Awards, delivery partners, facilitators
Participants: More than 1,500 schools
Funding: Sustainability Fund
Small acts, big impact
The Small acts, big impact campaign from Sustainability Victoria is a statewide behaviour change program to support householders to minimise waste and improve recycling behaviour aligned with rollout of Victoria’s new 4-stream system.
Start date: 2021
End date: 2025
Location: Statewide
Eligibility: Local councils
Partners: DEECA, local councils, industry, community groups
Key components: Statewide advertising, campaign assets for councils, regional engagement team, multicultural engagement
Participants: 80% of councils
Funding: Sustainability Fund, Circular Economy Household Education Fund
Detox Your Home
The Detox Your Home program is coordinated by Sustainability Victoria and delivered by local councils. It is an events program across Victoria to safely dispose of unwanted toxic household chemicals, keep them out of landfill and make recycling work through correct recycling.
Start date: 1994
End date: Ongoing
Location: Statewide
Eligibility: all Victorian households
Partners: Local councils
Key components: Detox Your Home local events, campaign assets for councils, Eventbrite booking platform
Participants: 40 Detox events per year
Funding: Sustainability Fund
Community and council energy upgrades
Sustainability Victoria brings councils and community groups together to make their facilities more energy efficient, reduce operating costs and reduce their emissions.
Start date: 2017
End date: Ongoing
Location: Metro and regional
Eligibility: Successful grant recipients
Partners: DEECA
Key components: Sustainable finance guides, Community Power Hubs, feasibility studies
Participants: 42 Community Power Hubs projects, 169 Community Climate Change and Energy Action projects
Funding: Community Climate Change and Energy Action
Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre
The Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre (CEBIC), provided by Sustainability Victoria is a one-stop shop for businesses to connect, collaborate, and access the support they need to trial new business models to stop the creation of waste before it starts.
Start date: 2020
End date: 2024
Location: Statewide
Eligibility: Small-medium business, not for profit
Partners: Circular Economy Victoria, Planet Ark, RICE, Stop Food Waste Australia
Key components: CEBIC website, industry research, events, networking, grants
Participants: 200 businesses, 31 funded projects
Funding: Circular Economy Innovation Fund (2021-2024), Circular Economy Business Support Fund (2021-2024), Sustainability Fund
Buy Recycled
Buy Recycled from Sustainability Victoria is a free service for Victorian councils to encourage their procurement teams to use more recycled materials and products in infrastructure, landscaping, parks and garden projects.
Start date: 2020
End date: 2024
Location: Statewide
Eligibility: Regional and metropolitan councils
Partners: Local councils, EcologiQ
Key components: Buy Recycled Directory, Buy Recycled Service, Procurement Toolkit
Participants: 114 suppliers, 70 councils
Funding: Recycled First Local Government Program
Energy-efficient homes
Sustainability Victoria makes it easy for the building industry and land developers to design carbon efficient homes, and for homeowners to make energy saving home improvements. High efficiency, low emission buildings are essential to Victoria’s net zero emission target.
Start date: 2006
End date: Ongoing
Location: Statewide, national
Eligibility: Registered builders, land developers, architects
Partners: Builders, NatHERS, National Construction Code
Key components: 7 Star Homes, FirstRate5, Zero Net Carbon Homes
Participants: 80 funded projects and display homes
Funding: Sustainability Fund, self-funded (FirstRate5)
Awards, events and recognition
Sustainability Victoria delivers, coordinates, or has keynote responsibilities at more than one hundred events per annum, and they are a key component in shaping Victoria’s circular economy and promoting community action.
Start date: 2002
End date: Ongoing
Location: Statewide
Eligibility: Invitation or ticketed
Partners: Multiple
Key components: ResourceSmart School Awards, industry or community events, keynote speaking events, published case studies
Participants: 100+ events per annum
Funding: Sustainability Fund, sponsors (where applicable)
Sustainable Space Hire
Sustainability Victoria offers meeting room, co-working and event spaces for hire at our head office in Melbourne’s CBD. This is our way of participating in the sharing economy, offering the use of our sustainable facilities, and collaborating with like-minded organisations.
Start date: 2021
End date: Ongoing
Location: Melbourne CBD
Eligibility: Booking based
Partners: n/a
Key components: Meeting room hire, event space hire, coworking space hire, booking platform
Participants: Government, business
Funding: Self-funded
Professional training
Sustainability Victoria offers professional training courses to the government and industry sectors to improve understanding of the circular economy and its key principles.
Start date: 2024
End date: Ongoing
Location: Online
Eligibility: Booking based
Partners: EPA Victoria
Key components: Online training portal, training module content, booking platform
Participants: Government, industry
Funding: Self-funded