Sustainability for business

Photo of a creek flanked by grassy banks, wattle trees and gum trees

Using sustainable resources and introducing recycling and waste reduction measures can have a positive effect on the environment, but can also improve the profitability and reputation of your business.

Circular economy

Funded by the Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre (CEBIC, delivered by Sustainability Victoria) and the Monash Business School, the Circular Economy Journey is a research project undertaken by Monash University to investigate Circular Economy (CE) adoption in Victoria's manufacturing sector.

Single-use plastics ban in Victoria

Making the switch to sustainable products

Single-use plastics will be banned from sale or supply in Victoria by February 2023.

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What are single-use plastics and what will be banned from February 2023?

  • drinking straws
  • cutlery including knives, forks, spoons, chopsticks, sporks, splades, food picks and sporks
  • plates
  • drink stirrers and sticks
  • cotton bud sticks
  • expanded polystyrene food and drink service containers including plates, cups, bowls, clam shells and any cover or lid.
  • All forms of plastic can be bad for the environment when littered.

What types of plastics will be included in the ban?

All forms of plastic can be bad for the environment when littered.

Single-use plastic drinking straws, cutlery, plates, drink stirrers and cotton bud sticks made from conventional, degradable and compostable materials, including bioplastic and oxo-degradable materials, are proposed to be banned. The ban will also apply to food and drink containers made from expanded polystyrene.

It is proposed that the single-use plastics ban includes compostable plastic items because these items can still harm wildlife the same way conventional plastic items do, if they are littered. Many compostable plastics require processing at a specialised compost facility in order to break down.

What can be used instead of single-use plastics?

Avoid single-use plastics where possible and choose reusable alternatives instead.  If you cannot avoid or use reusable items, then choose single-use items made from alternative materials such as Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper, wood or bamboo. More information can be found here

Other useful links

Sustainable energy

Switching to a more sustainable source of energy is a cost effective way to make your business more environmental friendly. If you are interested in switching, you may be eligible for government assistance.

Powering Business in Victoria market facilitation program

The Victorian Government wants to understand the best options to facilitate more competitive and certain renewable electricity supply for Commercial and Industrial (C&I) customers as the electricity market transitions to renewable electricity.

We are undertaking this consultation process to gain industry and community insights on the barriers C&I electricity users and renewable energy developers face in securing Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), and if and how a Market Facilitation Platform could address these barriers to:

  • Improve accessibility to PPAs by supporting more interaction between electricity users and existing and new renewable energy developers
  • Deliver more competitive electricity prices or more price certainty
  • Help C&I electricity users achieve their sustainability objectives
  • Stimulate a more stable pipeline of new renewable energy projects in Victoria to enable a sustainable renewable energy industry.

The consultation process provides an opportunity for C&I electricity users, renewable energy developers, key players in the facilitation of PPAs, community stakeholders, and other interested parties to share their perspectives on reducing barriers to accessing low-cost clean electricity and renewable electricity investment.

Have your say and register for information sessions.

Recycling and waste reduction

Reducing the amount of waste that your business creates can reduce associated waste management costs and prevent items from going to landfill unnecessarily.

Resources and useful links

Circular Economy

Funded by the Circular Economy Business Innovation Centre (CEBIC, delivered by Sustainability Victoria) and The Monash Business School, The Circular Economy Journey is a research project undertaken by Monash University to investigate Circular Economy (CE) adoption in Victoria's manufacturing sector.

How does your business stack up in a circular economy? Take the quiz.

The 10 R's - see how your efforts rate by completing the survey.

Read case studies and get more information at The Circular Economy Journey.

Small Business Climate Adaptation Toolkit

Download the toolkit(PDF, 2MB)

Save on your energy costs and help save the environment

Download a poster from VEU(PDF, 1MB) for information on how to access discounted energy-efficient products.