Global inspiration for the forward thinkers of local government.
Tuesday, 21 Sep 2021 | Reading time: 11 mins | Read online
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Local authorities on the journey to COP26: Cutting emissions from waste |
Each week we’ll focus on a different global topic, highlighting innovative content and insights from LGIU and our members around the world. |
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Waste creation and disposal is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Food waste alone accounts for between 8 to 10 percent of global emissions. This means that how we extract, purchase, consume and dispose of resources needs to change in order to tackle the global climate crisis. |
Local authorities across the world have the chance to play a central role in this change. From raising awareness and investing in infrastructure, to modifying their own procurement policies and supporting the growth of the circular economy, there are numerous ways in which councils can promote more sustainable waste management. |
With COP26 just a couple of months away, this is an important opportunity to demonstrate to the world the importance of local places in catalysing a green recovery from Covid and a just transition to net zero. |
Have a story to share? Get in touch! |
What is the Local Government Information Unit? We are a non-profit, non-partisan organisation for anyone with a passion for local democracy and finding local solutions to global challenges. Click here to find out more about Global Local from LGIU |
This week's featured content |
Circular economy: What does it mean for local government? |
By Jeremy Gill, SGS Economics & Planning Video by Alice Creasy, LGIU |
Watch: Our 3 minute video clearly sets out what the circular economy means, how it matters to local government and why it is such a hot topic now. |
Read: This briefing explores the potential economic benefits of the circular economy to local governments and how existing processes can evolve. |
The briefing highlights innovative Australian local government case studies, including a Hume City Council pilot that made roads from plastic bags and printer cartridges, which inspired similar initiatives across the country. |
LGIU Global Local Highlights |
Bundle: Tackling waste and the circular economy |
This bundle, released as part of our COP26 focus, explores how local authorities can support and enable sustainable waste management, highlighting best practice examples and areas for potential innovation. View the bundle here. |
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The Circularity Gap: An opportunity for local government leadership and practical change |
This briefing explores how local governments can include reporting on the circularity gap as part of their wider annual reporting processes, measuring their role in transitioning to a circular economy alongside other key local government metrics. Read our content. |
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Doughnut Economics: a lifebelt for the planet? |
This briefing examines the concept of ‘Doughnut Economics’ as an increasingly popular model around which to structure change at a local level. For local government, this model offers a guide to policy making that re-centres value by setting out the social and ecological parameters for decision-making while fostering collaboration and inter-departmental working. Read our content. |
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Curated case studies and news from around the globe |
Australia: Council’s new factory produces tiles from used mattresses |
Shoalhaven City Council has begun building a microfactory with the capability to turn discarded mattresses into ceramic tiles. Solving a growing used mattress dumping issue for the Council, the mattress fluff can be combined with crushed glass to produce the ‘green’ tiles for use as a sustainable building material. Government News / Judy Skatssoon |
Related: Kenyan startup turns recycled plastic into bricks stronger than concrete World Architecture |
South Africa: Industrial symbiosis programme makes one company’s trash another’s treasure |
The Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Program, initiated by Western Cape Government, works with companies of all industrial sectors to identify potential mutually profitable opportunities. Otherwise wasted resources and materials from one company or sector can be reprocessed or reused by another; including water, energy, materials and expertise. So far, the programme has diverted over 100,000 tonnes of waste from landfill and saved over 300,000 fossil GHG emissions, alongside creating numerous jobs. Cape town etc / Lucinda Dordley |
Related: Ontario’s circular economy business accelerator helps businesses find new uses for waste materials and opportunities for waste reduction Environment Journal / Connie Vitello |
Singapore: Convenient e-waste recycling points installed in shopping malls |
More than 300 electronic waste bins were placed in Singapore supermarkets and retail stores in July in a bid to recycle over 20,000 tonnes of e-waste annually. The Singapore Government initiative allows e-waste from laptops to fridges to be recycled. Participants can gain points to use on bicycle-sharing and food delivery services through a linked app. The Straits Times / Adeline Tan |
Australia: Fresh ways to improve food waste’s billion-dollar cost and climate impact set out |
An innovative report identifies steps to reduce Victoria’s food waste by half by 2030, down to 1.2 million tonnes per year. The steps include converting food waste into animal feed, increasing food recovery and donations and tracking waste patterns through analytics. The report recommends prioritising actions targeting waste dairy, bread, meat, tomato and apple, which have the highest climate impacts. Sustainability Victoria |
To help you develop your own circular economy strategy, we’ve brought together a selection of useful policies and tools from across the globe. |
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has developed a circular economy toolkit for policy makers which identifies key insights, details policy options, opportunities and barriers, and uses case studies to demonstrate how the tools may be applied. |
The World Circular Economy Forum 2021 was held virtually in Canada last week. You can watch the event replay on their website or sign up to attend one of many global side events taking place this month. |
Inspirational case studies |
The ICLEI Circulars platform includes an actions framework for circular development and place-based case studies from regional hubs in Africa, China and Europe. |
Interested in other LGIU Global content? |
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Global Local Community Champion: 2021 Cllr Awards nominations closing soon! |
There is only ONE WEEK left to nominate an elected representative from outside of Great Britain for the Global Local Community Champion Award. This award recognises councillors who have used council structures to bring about positive change for their communities. Nominations can be made by anyone and are open until midnight on Friday 24 September. |
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In case you missed it, our latest Global Local Recap primed local authorities on smart cities, by examining their opportunities, limitations and sustainability credentials. This bundle contains new blogs on using data to improve health in Nordic Smart Cities, how leaders can apply digital skills effectively and how the smart cities wheel framework can support quality of life. |
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Our next monthly COP26 newsletter will focus on a just transition to net zero, looking at the opportunities cutting emissions can bring for local employment, environments, and equality – and the importance of engaging communities along the journey. Make sure you’re signed up to our 'Climate action and sustainable development' topic or the 'Global Local Recap' in your preferences to get the next edition at the end of October. |
Next week's edition of the Global Local Recap explores how local authorities can support refugees. We'll highlight how councils are helping refugees from Afghanistan and feature best practice case studies of initiatives to assist new migrants at the local level. |
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Want more content? Visit our website to access our Global Local briefings, blogs, podcast and more. |
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