Premier's Sustainability Awards – 2022 winners and finalists

One person’s trash is another person’s treasure and the Advisory System for Processing Information and Resource Exchange (ASPIRE) has created an online marketplace to capitalise on this premise, offering businesses the opportunity to trade their waste as a resource.

Using this platform, businesses can upload their waste or excess resources and be matched with other local businesses in need of those materials. By doing this, ASPIRE helps businesses reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle materials so they can become active players in the circular economy. In addition to matchmaking, the digital platform also helps businesses track their impact through a portal dashboard.

To date, more than 1,000 Australian businesses are registered on the platform, and around 50,000 tonnes of waste has been diverted from landfill.

Durra Panel is changing the way the world thinks about building materials, offering a truly sustainable product to create healthier buildings for both inhabitants and the environment.

Durra Panel is a unique construction material with a chemical-free biomass core made entirely out of reclaimed wheat straw. The panel is used as a wall and ceiling lining and offers sustainability benefits of being locally sourced and Australian made with a low embodied energy.

Using a waste resource to produce a building material that is 100 per cent biodegradable mimics the natural carbon cycle and makes sustainability its greatest asset.

Victoria generates around 15 million tonnes of waste a year. This figure will grow as our population does, but it’s what we do with our waste that counts. As a Victorian Government initiative, Ecologiq integrates recycled and reused materials across the state’s $80 billion Big Build program and ensures the use of such materials is part of business-as-usual activities.

A key driver of this change is the Recycled First policy. This Australian-first policy requires contractors delivering Victorian transport projects to optimise their use of recycled and reused materials and has already resulted in more than 1.3 million tonnes of recycled content going into transport projects.

This is only the beginning, as Recycled First is rolled out across our biggest transport projects to deliver greener and greater infrastructure for Victoria.

For EcoSouLife, being eco-conscious not only comes from the soul; it’s also a way of life. The Melbourne-based company produces tableware out of natural waste, offering guilt-free, disposable and reusable alternatives to the plastic, foams and metals which cause harm to our planet.

Based on 2021 figures, EcoSouLife estimates that 650,000 pieces of plastic dinnerware bound for landfill or recycling has been replaced by their sustainable products that will biodegrade and turn into compost.

EcoSouLife also supports farmers by helping them transform agricultural waste like wheat, bamboo, corn and fallen palm leaves into products for our picnics, camping trips and parties.

Precious Plastic Melbourne is at the forefront of a grassroots micro-recycling movement in Australia. From their closed-loop plastic recycling facility in Nunawading, Precious Plastic Melbourne is designing and producing small-scale recycling equipment to manufacture functional products and create a valuable resource from what was once considered waste.

The innovative, family-owned enterprise empowers community groups, businesses, and schools to manufacture their own products, actively seeding circular eco-systems across the country. This circular economy approach is not only vital to the reduction of plastic pollution, but also creates strong economic, social and climate benefits.

Reground is a social enterprise helping organisations and individuals create a circular economy through waste collection and waste minimisation projects. The Reground model is a circular alternative to traditional waste collection models that redirects ground coffee waste for reuse in the local community.

Through this model, Reground is facilitating a transition to the circular economy by connecting cafes, coffee roasters and officers with the community and showcasing the many ways to use waste as a resource.

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded in Australia, Beyond Zero Emissions saw an opportunity to advocate for nation-building projects which could provide emissions reduction solutions.

The Million Jobs Plan was born, showing that it could take just 5 years for Australia to create 1.8 million new jobs using clean technologies and renewable energy in regions and communities where these are needed most.

The ground-breaking plan is driving government investment in large-scale renewable energy projects to contribute to a cleaner Australia.

Rail Project Victoria’s Metro Tunnel project trialled geothermal technology to convert infrastructure foundations at the State Library construction site into renewable thermal energy.

The scientific results of this pilot show that geothermal renewable energy holds potential to meet energy demands of our built environment, and may support a dramatic change in the way we use our infrastructure and foundations as a thermal battery for renewable energy capture.

The Yarra Energy Foundation has launched Victoria’s first inner-urban community battery, enabling more rooftop solar, improving energy affordability, and alleviating points of congestion in the grid. Under this new model, all energy-users connected to the battery will benefit—including renters—and not only those with rooftop solar.

Community batteries are an exciting new model that empower locals to engage with the clean energy transition and to influence their community’s transformation to a zero-carbon future.

Green Fest is a free community event run by Ballarat-based environmental organisations Food Is Free Inc. and the Ballarat Action Climate Co-op. Held in February 2022, the youth-led community festival aimed to tackle social isolation, food insecurity and environmental disengagement in the local community.

Over 200 attendees of all ages, backgrounds and abilities gained vital new skills around gardening and food growing, and hundreds of items of pre-loved clothes and books were exchanged, saving them from landfill without the exchange of money.

Meaningful and green volunteering opportunities across the community were also promoted, encouraging local action and connection.

Gannawarra Shire Council is renowned in the Mallee region as a leader in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) sector, and is the only rural Victorian council to be an approved NDIS provider. Since its implementation in 2019, council’s NDIS support has grown to assist 124 participants living in the Gannawarra region, creating 51 new jobs in a small rural municipality of 10,549 residents.

Council’s NDIS support also complements key programs such as its Social Meals and the Gannawarra Non-Emergency Transport Service in creating and maintaining important connections to the community.

SalamFest is using events, music and food to combat islamophobia.

The celebration of Muslim tradition, arts and culture aims to encourage Melburnians and the wider Victorian community to learn more about what Islam represents and engage with the rich cultures of the 70 countries that Muslims hail from. Driven by a philosophy of inclusion, SalamFest events showcase international and local artists, conversation and dialogues, interactive arts and cuisine to break down barriers.

Sikh Volunteers Australia is a not-for-profit volunteer organisation focusing on reducing distress by providing free food to disadvantaged and needy individuals and families within the Australian community. Embracing diversity and recognising the human race as one, the volunteer group participates in non-profit community events, which help people in need regardless of race, religion, or language.

Their volunteers work tirelessly to provide free food and clean drinking water every day, delivering freshly cooked meals to groups impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and, more recently, regional towns impacted by the NSW floods.

The Corner Store Network is a delicious social enterprise, harnessing the power of coffee and preserves to protect our future. The Melbourne-based social enterprise sources their coffee directly from organic, small-holder farms in Timor-Leste at above international fair-trade prices.

They also invite the community to attend preserving sessions where volunteers preserve donated, locally grown produce, saving it from landfill. Proceeds from the sale of these preserves are then distributed to the produce grower and local food relief agencies.

By creating practical and local solutions, the network is taking real action to preserve the future for generations to come, and ensure that every person globally has economic, food and environmental justice.

Beaconsfield Dental is a progressive dental clinic committed to sustainability and caring for the community and the environment. A broad range of measures in all aspects of sustainability have been implemented, including:

• solar power generation from 144 solar panels
• solar hot water
• rainwater collection (17,000L)
• 12 compost bins
• an Indigenous garden with native edibles
• a broad recycling program
• building design with energy-saving appliances and lighting
• environmental artwork
• a Tesla charger.

Beaconsfield Dental doesn’t just look after our teeth. As a business in the health industry, they believe caring for the environment goes a long way towards improving the community’s health and wellbeing.

A community not-for-profit grocery in Emerald is now powered by clean, green, off-grid solar energy. Listed by the National Trust, the once derelict Old Emerald Bakehouse is the only off-grid business operating solely on solar power, without any mains power connection, in the largest and oldest town in the Dandenong Ranges.The off-grid solar system provides renewable power to the Dig In Community Grocery.

Operated by Emerald Community House, the grocery sells food that is organic, locally grown or locally produced, cutting down on the cost and impact of transportation. It also provides free food to those on a tight budget or doing it tough.

Kardinia International College is committed to sustainability, actively working towards the goal of becoming a carbon-neutral five-star school.

The junior school redevelopment includes a 300kW solar system generating enough renewable energy to be carbon-neutral during the day. The college is purchasing 100 per cent green power and all light fittings in the school have been converted to LEDs. In the canteen, furniture is made of 100 per cent recycled plastic, online ordering and biodegradable packaging is used, and all organic waste is returned to the college as compost.

Students are as committed to sustainability as their school, establishing student-led committees, including Earthcore and Planeteers, to foster a global citizen mindset.

In 2019, Australia produced 27 million tonnes of waste from the construction and demolition sectors, accounting for almost half of all waste in Australia. More than one-third of this went into landfill. To address this unsustainable path of destruction, Revival Projects launched their Zero Footprint Repurposing initiative, which is revolutionising the way the design and construction industries approach existing materials.

From demolition to repurposing and installation, the Zero Footprint approach means materials never leave the construction site, and existing resources are given a second chance in new developments.

Sixty little voices and sixty letters to a mayor led to a partnership with Brimbank Council which resulted in approximately 2,500 trees planted at Ardeer South Primary School. Students are driven to leave a legacy for both their school community and the planet, working hard to care for the urban forest they helped create.

Through their advocacy, Ardeer South students have changed the lives of others, and, in turn, have changed their own lives, as they have now a mindset that will inform their future engagement with the environment in which they live, and the footprint they will leave behind.

Led by the Buloke and Northern Grampians Landcare Network in partnership with Make a Change Australia, the Community Conversations project set out to normalise conversations on climate change resilience in the St Arnaud community.

The project has helped the Buloke and Northern Grampians Landcare Network achieve its vision for an empowered, supportive and interconnected community, with the resilience to meet and adapt to climate change by inspiring and empowering local leadership, building confidence in contributing to plans and discussions around climate resilience, and encouraging ideas and action around the themes of climate adaptation, resilience, and community-led solutions.

The City of Greater Geelong is revitalising Sparrovale-Nubitj yoorree Reserve for the fast-growing community at Armstrong Creek.

Adjoining the Barwon River and the Lake Connewarre State Game Reserve, the 500-hectare site was acquired by the council as part of a plan to open a large new wetlands park for nature-based recreational and educational activities in Geelong’s south. This plan will provide an end-of-drainage solution for stormwater treatment and storage, as well as supporting a sustainable wetland and waterway wildlife reserve.

Demand for water could begin to exceed supply by as early as 2028. Monash University is on the case, and its water harvesting loop takes water capture and reuse to the next level.

Incorporating the Clayton campus lake, the loop is made up of 60 rainwater tanks, a biofilter garden and monitoring devices linked through underground pipes circling the campus. The system has enabled under-utilised stormwater to be accessed from a Melbourne Water drain running under the campus.

This has significantly increased the existing tank capacity of 3.9 million litres, greatly decreasing reliance on rainwater alone for toilet flushing or irrigation, and reducing water use at the campus overall.

Nomad Coffee Group set out to prove that carbon neutrality was possible and worthwhile by implementing sustainable business practices to preserve the joy of coffee for future generations.

The project scope included measuring greenhouse gas emissions, internal company emission reductions, and offsetting remaining emissions though a government-recognised platform. As well as uncovering cost savings and environmental improvements, the project has been well-supported by employees, suppliers and customers alike.

St Joseph's Primary School in Sorrento strives to make a positive impact within its community by teaching and living sustainable values. Although green space makes up only 10 per cent of their campus, the primary school has developed a range of small gardens that provide habitat and plant diversity for Indigenous insects and fauna. St Joseph’s has already gained 3 stars as a participant in the Sustainability Victoria Resource Smart Schools Program.

In 2021, St Joseph’s won both the Independent Schools Victorian Greatest Demonstrated Improvement of Green Space Award and a Junior Woolworths Landcare Grant to create an Indigenous bee and butterfly garden. All students were involved in researching and building habitat boxes for these insects as part of the garden project. They also propagate and plant species of plants to help attract and support the bees and butterflies.

The Brighton Sea Scouts are training and empowering their members to monitor for microplastics across Port Phillip Bay catchments. This 2-year research project set out to monitor and help combat the serious threat of microplastic pollution to aquatic wildlife by collecting and recording data and developing a litter database.

More than 500 scouts and leaders were involved in litter audits, the results of which are now informing council litter management strategies, as well as state government policy action.

Australian New Zealand Recycling Platform has set out to revolutionise Victoria’s waste recovery movement by building a mobile e-waste recycling factory. Part-funded by Sustainability Victoria, the Australian-first factory was commissioned in March 2021 and, with support from Citywide Services, was first deployed at the City of Melbourne’s waste transfer station to undergo rigorous testing and evaluation.

The mobile e-waste recycling factory provides an environmentally sound solution for collection partners, councils and operators under the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme by diverting more than 90 per cent of collected items from landfill.

So many of us volunteer our time to pick up litter in our communities. While these clean-ups are valuable, a baseline is also needed to help determine the extent of the problem and assist with longer term monitoring.

The LitterStopper app was created to help people amplify their efforts, providing a quick and simple way to enter data from litter collections. Data from the app is then stored and displayed on the LitterStopper website and sent to the new LitterWatch portal to assist the state government collect litter data, identify patterns and inform future policy on pollution.

To date, LitterStopper has recorded nearly one million littered items, collected over 4,200 cleans.

The City of Greater Geelong has embarked on an intensive bin inspection program to cut contamination in kerbside recycling bins and combat community confusion.

Over 7 months, teams examined an unprecedented 291,377 recycling bins across Greater Geelong, covering virtually every household in the municipality. The project resulted in a significant and enduring fall in contamination rates, saving tonnes of recycling from landfill.

Just as importantly, the project also provided a new baseline of data about the community that is still being deployed in the team’s community education and engagement efforts today.

From humble beginnings, OzHarvest has become a leading food rescue organisation on a mission to nourish our country by stopping good food from going to waste and delivering it to charities that help feed people in need.

The OzHarvest yellow vans are out and about in communities every day, collecting quality surplus food from a network of donors, including supermarkets, cafes, delis, restaurants, corporate kitchens, airlines, hotels and other food businesses.

OzHarvest is committed to halving food waste by 2030, inspiring and influencing others to do the same, and transforming lives through education.