1. to change the way we deal with waste
ASPIRE
to change the way we deal with waste
Imagine you are about to hear of the new “e-Harmony of waste”!
This is the quickest way to convey the concept of the ASPIRE project.
It is the development of an online tool to help small to medium sized businesses exchange waste or material resources
divert it from landfill, and in some cases find a new revenue stream or source raw material for reuse.
Lets look at how this came about.
Data 61

2. The beginning… What was the need? Rising costs of doing business:
Historical
landfill levy rates
Metro and provincial –
Municipal and industrial waste ($/tonne)
Year
Municipal
Industrial
2011–12
$44
2012–13
$48.40
2013–14
$53.20
2014–15
$58.50
Listening to business ………
In Kingston Council ran Group Programs for SME’s (small to medium sized businesses) to bring business owners together to review their current operational practices and explore alternative business models. The focus was a lead up to preparing for a carbon Tax, but the outcome was a far more holistic approach to reviewing their waste management practices – with a view to reduce their costs
AS WELL AS exploring opportunities for new markets and revenue streams
As a result of listening to the needs of SME’s, the Kingston Sustainable Business Network was established. This networking opportunity is held bi monthly for small to medium size business owners to share sustainability initiatives with each other and learn more about resource efficiency from invited specialists in fields such as energy, water, waste and productivity improvements.

3. How was the ASPIRE project funded?
1. A collaborative project to develop and implement an ICT solution that will transform current business practice and deliver productivity benefits to SMEs 2. The project must share information and learnings which demonstrate benefits for SMEs across the Victorian economy.
At this time the Digital Future Fund was offering funding to support an ICT (Information Communications Technology) solution to a business problem. This Fund was a a key initiative of the Victorian Government's “Technology Plan for the Future”, and the criteria for funding required a partnership approach with a focus on business engagement.
The adoption of ICT has been demonstrated to drive productivity, innovation and improve the competitiveness of businesses.
The Digital Futures Fund supports small to medium enterprises to overcome business challenges through the use of ICT by reducing barriers to specialist ICT resources, knowledge and technical expertise.
Funding focus:
1. “Support collaborative project involving the development and implementation of Information & Communications Technology (ICT) solutions that transform current business practices and deliver productivity benefits to Victorian SMEs
2. Share information and project learnings to demonstrate the benefits across the Victorian economy – an important aspect of communicating the ASPIRE project broadly – using new technologies including social media.

4. Project Partners Project Consultant + in-kind partners: Close the Loop
Australian Industry Group
KS Environmental
Project Consultant
Kingston Council took the lead role in applying for the Digital Futures Funding,
in partnership with Hume Council, Knox, and the City of Greater Dandenong.
In addition the Australian Industry Group, ‘Close the Loop’ and KS Environmental, all involved in Resource Efficiency initiatives, were keen to be part of a “proof of concept “ project
- which came to be labelled as ASPIRE.
Business was telling councils, and sustainability networks, that rising landfill costs were impacting their business, as well as greater awareness from management, the supply chain, and the customer, to become ‘smarter” about waste management and resource efficiency.

5. What is ASPIRE? b A System for Processing, Innovation & Resource Exchange
E harmony of waste!
ASPIRE Vision – respond to SME demand / resource efficiency / industrial symbiosis / use of ICT to support decision making
Deployment - ICT & Social network / train the trainer
Industrial Symbiosis:
A basic definition…..
….. a growing trend worldwide focusing on the recovery and use of by-product resources that would otherwise be wasted.
It establishes a mutually beneficial relationship between industrial enterprises to:
optimise the use of resources
create value
drive productivity and reduce costs

6. What’s in it for business?
What’s in it for an SME?
Convenient online information delivers alternative supply chains suggestions and/or material flows that have the potential to bring about industrial symbiosis (including new processes and logistics aggregation) –
Basic definition of Industrial symbiosis is:
- optimise the use of resources
- create value
- drive productivity and reduce costs
Alternatives to landfill are explained using a library of materials from the web.
Contacts are provided to businesses that potentially could form part of an alternative supply chain, or which could provide raw materials or services.

7. ASPIRE went “live” in Nov 2015
How is it going?
Let’s hear from business…..
Presentation title | Presenter name

8. Supports resource efficiency programs with data
Shows material flows between businesses and for industrial symbiosis
Systematically matches material resources for industrial ecology
Creates new case studies and keeps documentation in a central repository
Centralises discussion on industrial ecology on a collaborative platform.
Presentation title | Presenter name

9. After just 6 B2B exchanges results were:
59 Tonnes of waste diverted from landfill
More than 100 companies engaged on ASPIRE
$57,000 waste cost reductions
Presentation title | Presenter name

10. What’s next? ……………… build the network !
At least 7 other councils expressed interest
Engage and expand existing business networks with partner councils
Embed into sustainability programs.

11. Partnership with MWRRG
Develop toolkit to enable broad rollout by Councils
Technical enhancements for additional data capture and reporting.
Develop toolkit to enable broad rollout by Councils
Technical enhancements for additional data capture and reporting.
Presentation title | Presenter name

12. https://aspire.csiro.au Digital Productivity
Melanie Ayre Researcher, Operations Research t e w
Manufacturing
Sarah King Leader, Sustainable Manufacturing  t e w
Digital productivity flagship