Circular economy is among the most influential concepts relating to the realization of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. Advocates of the circular economy promote its potential to achieve a decoupling of growth from material consumption. Academic critiques describe the circular economy concept as poorly defined and insufficiently concerned with other problems associated with consumerism, globalization, and inequality. South Australia has built a reputation as a first mover in waste management regulations and has recently positioned itself as a leader in the transition to the circular economy. However, the Asia-Pacific region contains a wide variety of socioeconomic, geographic, and climatic conditions that impact waste generation, resource recovery, and circular economy potentials. There are questions about the appropriateness of transferring waste strategy and technologies to different settings. Therefore, this paper explores the basis of South Australia’s leadership credentials and discusses its potential influence over the region. This research is based on an analysis of policy documents produced by the South Australian Government. This study found that while multiple South Australian policy documents highlight a desire to lead in circular economy transition, South Australia’s leadership reputation had been built prior to its adoption of circular economy ideology. The South Australian Waste Strategy 2020–2025 projects a vision of circular futures aligned to circular modernism and planned circularity. The paper concludes that any transfer of waste strategy should occur with sensitivity to existing waste management systems including the informal sector. Asia-Pacific countries, including Australia, should consider decentralized, low-tech circular economy projects to help to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

This paper makes the case for Landfill Vernacular – the hybrid style of construction that combines locally-sourced natural materials with objects reclaimed from waste, as demonstrated at Bantar Gebang landfill in West Java, Indonesia. This technique is used to build small homes and workplaces for the people working in the informal recycling industry. Utilising photographs and referencing existing literature the paper argues that within these humble dwellings reside the seeds of a potential contribution to making urban housing more affordable, particularly in informal settlements. The background for this research discusses the housing challenges facing low-income communities, with an emphasis on the situation in Jakarta. Next, the conditions in the waste picker villages at the landfill are described, and then argues that the neighbourhoods and buildings there represent an emerging vernacular. Next the paper introduces BGBJ, the social enterprise that the author has been involved with for the last 4 years. This project has attracted hundreds of international and domestic visitors and is currently establishing an upcycling workshop in the landfill to assist construction projects. The discussion involves the potential of waste as a construction material and expands on the opportunities to: (a) educate the next generation of vernacular builders, and (b) improve the quality of reclaimed material available for building. The conclusions drawn from the research suggest that landfill vernacular can be developed into a technique suitable to help other groups in need, such as refugees from natural or manmade disasters.

Waste is a symbol of inefficiency in modern society and represents misallocated resources. This paper outlines an on-going interdisciplinary research project entitled. Integrated ETWW demand forecasting and scenario planning for low-carbon precincts. and reports on first findings and a literature review. This large multi-stakeholder research project develops a shared platform for integrated ETWW (energy, transport, waste and water) planning in a low-carbon urban future, focusing on synergies and alternative approaches to urban planning. The aim of the project is to develop a holistic integrated software tool for demand forecasting and scenario evaluation for residential precincts, covering the four domains, ETWW, using identified commonalities in data requirements and model formulation. The authors of this paper are overseeing the waste domain. A major component of the project will be developing a method for including the impacts of household behavior change in demand forecasting, as well as assessing the overall carbon impacts of urban developments or redevelopments of existing precincts. The resulting tool will allow urban planners, municipalities and developers to assess the future total demands for energy, transport, waste and water whilst in the planning phase. The tool will also help to assess waste management performance and materials flow in relation to energy and water consumption and travel behavior, supporting the design and management of urban systems in different city contexts.