Circular Economy: Also known as circularity, an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and minimising continual resource inputs. In contrast to the traditional linear economy model of production, "take, make and dispose".
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On Tuesday we saw the launch of Bega's "circularity project", driven by the considerable investment and pulling power of Bega Cheese and supported by the shire council, education facilities and local businesses.
Turning Bega and the Valley into a circular economy is not just a buzzword and a switch to recycling. This will truly be a game-changer as Barry Irvin puts it. An economic model that will underpin nearly everything we do.
The Valley has already seen a lot of projects with the circular economy principles at play - FOGO taking our food and garden waste, turning it into compost and returning to our lawns and vegetable gardens to boost growth; Ocean2Earth collecting fish waste from our stunning stretch of coastline and converting it into nutrient-rich fertiliser; Clean Energy for Eternity's community-owned solar panel array powering the shire's sewage treatment works at Tathra, with the savings being passed back to CEFE to fund additional solar power installations on community infrastructure.
Now imagine those same principles across local business, agriculture, tourism and manufacturing. The vision is grand, but there's a lot of clout behind it keen to see it through.
Not least of which is from Bega Cheese and executive chairman Barry Irvin.
As well as launching the circularity project this week, he was part of a "town summit" hosted by the Bega Chamber of Commerce discussing the town's future, what was needed, and what the community wanted in order to grow.
The discussions included community centre plans, the digital economy and tech-skilled workforce, the rich history of the district and how it could be leveraged into marketing or tourism opportunities.
It was clear that many, if not all, of these projects feed into - and off - the circular economy premise.
Can Bega truly become a net-zero footprint region? Can we utilise the incredible resources and talent that we have here to produce a region blossoming with ideas and opportunities, while keeping waste out of our environment?
The sky's the limit.