Case Study - Circular Economy
Merri-bek Circular Economy Strategy - Towards a Zero Waste Merri-bek
Conversation Co was engaged by Merri-bek City Council to support the development of the Circular Economy Strategy: Towards Zero Waste Merri-bek 2024-2030. This strategy aims to support the community’s ambitious goal of zero waste in Merri-bek by 2030.
In this first phase of engagement, we sought to educate community members about circular economy practices, understand community strengths and current waste practices, understand barriers to circular economy practices and brainstorm local solutions with community groups and businesses to reduce waste to landfill. Conversation Co designed and delivered an engagement program that helped Council understand community priorities for Council activities, funding and other supports for waste management and circular economy actions.
The draft Strategy and Action Plan will go out for Public Exhibition in April this year.
-
Navigating the complex global issue of waste with community members with a focus on local solutions.
Busting myths about a perceived lack of recycling in Australia.
Navigating a power imbalance between producers and households and inspiring/empowering consumers to take action.
Victorian kerbside waste reforms were non-negotiable, steering the conversation to the bigger picture.
-
Engaging with diverse communities: creating specialised communications and hands-on engagement activities for multicultural groups and big families.
Engagement was structured to focus on community strengths, sharing CE tips to inspire and encourage participation and uptake.
Creating engaging props for all ages and using recycled materials was colourful and engaging.
-
Representation across the municipality and with diverse communities
Positive partnerships established with local businesses
Partnering with RMIT fashion fix lab added value to engagement pop ups for participants. Participants were able to mend clothes that would otherwise be thrown out and do circular economy practices whilst giving feedback.
Development of a clear recommendations for the Strategy
A clear desire for Council to prioritise waste reduction and circular economy practices
City of Coffs Harbour - Circular Economy Strategy
Conversation Co and Ratio consultants were engaged by the City of Coffs Harbour to support the development of a 10-year waste and resource recovery strategy. Conversation Co shared their expertise to support the development of an engagement program to hear from community members, businesses and other stakeholder groups to ensure the strategy.
The draft Strategy will go out for Public Exhibition in 2025.
-
Reintroducing face to face engagement and focus group formats to the community after a break over Covid-19 .
Navigating community outrage with the Australian recycling system and lack of trust in waste management planning.
Navigating a power imbalance between producers and households and inspiring/empowering consumers to take action.
-
Targeted engagement with community groups and demographics with particular waste needs/challenges: Local Aboriginal Land Council, social housing providers which allowed for more nuanced planning and communications to suit different households.
Partnering with OzGreen to deliver engagements and hands on waste education with engaging props.
Giveaway of circular economy products to incentivise participation.
-
Working with LALC to understand ‘circular economy’ from an Aboriginal perspective.
Working with communities to understand the weed risk in rural and coastal areas as related to a cohesive long term circular economy strategy.
Community and business participants showcased good precedents in the local area to form a model for community programs and re-use hubs.
Development of key recommendations for the strategy and communications approaches.
Victorian Government - Regional Circular Economy Plans Engagement Program
The Victorian Government engaged Conversation Co to design and deliver an inclusive engagement program that would underpin the development of Regional Circular Economy Plans (RCEPs) for five regions in Victoria. The initiative brought together local councils, industry representatives, academic institutions, and other stakeholders to define regional circular economy aspirations toward 2030 and identify priorities for the next five years. The RCEPs are intended to guide policy, infrastructure investment, and collaborative actions that support the state’s broader circular economy goals.
-
The program was delivered within a compressed timeframe, requiring rapid engagement and data synthesis to inform RCEP development.
With participation from over 125 organisations across multiple sectors and regions, the program needed to accommodate varied perspectives and technical capacities.
Addressing regional disparities and differences in infrastructure, market conditions, and local capacities—such as transport costs and processing capabilities—across geographically dispersed regions.
-
The program was structured in three stages—understanding current conditions, developing regional aspirations, and refining priorities—using online workshops, interviews, and focus groups to ensure depth and inclusivity.
Detailed regional profiles and data were provided to participants to ground discussions in local demographic, economic, and infrastructural realities.
Engaging a broad mix of stakeholders, including local government, industry, social enterprises, and academic partners, ensured that multiple perspectives were represented.
The engagement process was closely aligned with existing Victorian government policies and research, reinforcing confidence among participants and supporting coherent strategy development.
-
Workshops and focus groups generated insights into regional strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats—ranging from issues like contamination in recycling streams to opportunities for local market development.
The program produced clear recommendations such as maintaining participant communication, leveraging existing networks for further research, and prioritising joint benefit projects to drive immediate change.
City of Melbourne - Melbourne FOGO
Conversation Co was engaged by the City of Melbourne to engage with its community about the introduction of the food and organic waste program. Conversation Co supported by delivering in-person pop up events to familiarise the new program with community members, increase community knowledge, and understand how to support effective participation in the food and garden waste recycling project.
-
Engaging during COVID-19 lock down periods, introducing a key policy is never easy when community concerned about health and livelihood
Spatial concerns and initial resistance to the timing of the project
-
Creating an education and engaging prop which showed the key service inclusions and provided education around its use
Incentivising participation through collection of kitchen bins and bags from pop-ups
Visiting a range of locations to understand the diverse needs of all household types (focus on multi dwelling, apartments, government housing)
-
Positive feedback from community members about the new food and organic waste system.
Clear feedback on strategies to support ongoing participation and keeping communities motivated.
If you’re developing a waste reduction strategy, circular economy plan, or local sustainability initiative, we can help design meaningful engagement strategies that bring people on the journey. Let’s chat!