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Renewables, Climate and Future Industries Tasmania

Business Resource Efficiency Program

Doing more with less

Increasing resource efficiency can help to reduce your business costs, improve resilience and protect the environment. This means limiting consumption of materials, and reducing the amount of waste your business produces.

BREP 2023 Review Forum

The second Business Resource Efficiency Program closed with a Review Forum held in Launceston on 21 September 2023. At the forum, participants shared the outcomes of their chosen project and lessons learnt.

What is BREP?

BREP assists small and medium-sized businesses to reduce their emissions and costs by reviewing their use of resources and finding ways to reduce waste. The program aims to:

  • help small- to medium-sized Tasmanian businesses reduce their consumption of resources, and minimise waste streams
  • reduce operating costs and drive productivity gains
  • provide businesses with practical and tailored information about ways to improve their resource efficiency.

2022-23 Program

Waste audits

Participants, or a delegated employee, participated in an online waste audit workshop, with follow up remote assistance to complete an audit of material streams and identify opportunities for resource recovery. Businesses have access to supporting resources and processes, or can use the collective knowledge and experience of the group to validate existing auditing practices. The outcomes of waste audits provide opportunities for improvement and support the selection of a suitable project addressing resource efficiency.

Exploratory Learning Series

The BREP Exploratory Learning Series showcased Circular Economy (CE) thinking, existing solutions and emerging technologies from Australia and around the world. Each event was presented by a keynote speaker on a relevant topic and offered an opportunity for business owners and senior managers to ask questions and explore potential applications in the Tasmanian context. Speakers included global leaders in CE strategy, product lifecycle assessment, sustainable design and new product offerings. Opportunities identified were further investigated through project-based learning.

Working groups

Building on existing networks, working groups met regularly (online and on-site) to apply collective learning to individual challenges and highlight the interdependency of a circular economy. Meetings were facilitated to encourage collaborative business relationships and joint projects that advance the circular economy across Tasmania.

Mentored implementation

Individual mentoring from a qualified sustainable designer assisted with resource efficiency initiatives. Project examples include:

  • elimination of all forms of waste
  • product lifecycle assessment
  • environmental management systems
  • new product development
  • supply chain optimisation

Review Forum

Participants shared the outcomes of their chosen project and share lessons learnt at a final Review Forum on 21 September 2023.

Site visits

The program included site visits to view Tasmania’s waste management systems, including regional organics processing facilities, materials recovery facilities and landfills, plus tours of facilities showcasing resource efficiency strategies and new technologies.

What is action learning?

Action learning is ‘learning by doing’. The process brings together a group of people to focus on a particular project. The process of action learning encourages participants to challenge the way they do things in their workplace and to do things differently. It is a practical alternative to the more traditional methods of learning through things like lectures and reading.

What are the outcomes?

Each business received a comprehensive waste audit, to identify opportunities for increased resource efficiency, and assistance with project scoping for the forthcoming action learning program.

More information

The Business Resource Efficiency Program (BREP) is a partnership between the Tasmanian Government and Business Action Learning Tasmania and is funded by the Tasmanian Government. For more information visit the Business Action Learning Tasmania website.


2020 Program outcomes

The first Business Resource Efficiency Program was completed in 2020, and helped 11 small- and medium-sized Tasmanian businesses review their resource use and find ways to improve it. The program was delivered by Business Action Learning Tasmanian in the North and North-West of the State.

  • Each business received a comprehensive waste audit, to identify opportunities for increased resource efficiency.
  • Through a series of workshops and action learning meetings, the businesses worked as a team to tackle each business’s particular waste problem and develop an action plan.
  • Businesses received one-on-one mentoring throughout the program to develop their projects, and visited waste management centres and other businesses that are leading the way in resource efficiency.
  • Each business finished the program with a set of recommendations and an implementation plan to improve their resource efficiency. Participants presented their results at a program review forum.
  • The program resources and tools summarise the key program learnings and outcomes and can help other businesses to improve their resource efficiency.

Case studies

Tools

Tools and templates are available to help you analyse resource use in your business and develop strategies to improve resource efficiency. Visit the Business Action Learning Tasmania website to download these templates:

  • Action plan Gantt chart
  • Audit checklist template
  • Cause and effect worksheet
  • Meeting agenda template
  • Problem solving template
  • Waste survey calculator
  • Waste survey worksheet

More information

Business Action Learning Tasmania (BALT)

Business Action Learning Tasmania (BALT) designed and delivered BREP in partnership with the Tasmanian Government. BALT supports self-reliant industry development, bringing together diverse companies through action learning, to improve their profitability, develop their people and grow the Tasmanian economy. BALT has a range of templates available for download to help Tasmanian businesses pursue resource efficiency initiatives.

Reth!nk Waste Tasmania

Rethink Waste is a statewide initiative involving the three regional waste management groups – Cradle Coast Waste Services, the Northern Tasmanian Waste Management Group and Waste Strategy South. Rethink Waste provides information for best practice waste management and recycling in Tasmania.

Environment Protection Authority (EPA), Tasmania

The Tasmanian EPA has information about sustainable waste management standards, practices and legislation on the Waste and Resource Recovery for Business and Industry page.

Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas)

NRE Tas provides information about government waste management and resource recovery, including the draft Waste Action Plan, landfill levy, container refund scheme, education and awareness, and litter management. Visit the Environmental Management page for more information.

Sustainability Victoria

Sustainability Victoria has a range of resources to help businesses take simple actions to reduce material use and waste.

EPA NSW Bin Trim Tool

Bin Trim is a simple tool to help businesses measure their waste, and find out how to waste less and save more.

Ellen Macarthur Foundation

The Ellen Macarthur Foundation has an extensive collection of resources available online, including:

The Business Resource Efficiency Program (BREP) was a partnership between the Tasmanian Government and Business Action Learning Tasmania and was funded by the Tasmanian Government. It was a key action of Climate Action 21: Tasmania’s Climate Change Action Plan 2017-2021.

For more information visit the Business Action Learning Tasmania website.