News

A designer collection carrying the stories of Nyoongar women from Western Australia to New Zealand Fashion Week 2026, forms part of a SCaW Hub project addressing textile waste, with the fashion created from donated clothing, upcycled by collective

James Cook University research partner Jen McHugh and Councillor Ernest Madua shared ideas for remote communities to create local jobs and economic opportunities through recycling waste into useful products.

Researchers mapped plastics washing off streets, carparks and industrial sites, and found commercial areas are major microplastic hotspots.

Stormwater filters can stop substantial plastic pollution before it reaches waterways, with commercial areas the clearest priority.

Australia is recycling more, but building a circular economy will require using fewer raw materials in the first place, new research shows.

Researchers from across Australia presented their work at Hub Day 2026.

Hub researcher experiments demonstrate that a widely used plastic for drink and food containers more easily breaks down into microplastics under common household usage and from environmental exposure than previously thought.

Associate Professor Atiq Zaman is a circular economy and zero-waste expert who led the SCaW Hub's project exploring circular economy opportunities with and for Indigenous communities in Western Australia.

A practical guide to help researchers communicate with Indigenous audiences in ways that are respectful, accessible and grounded in trusted community and media pathways.

Work under Impact Priority 6: Safe circular economy is progressing, with new research projects now underway to support community engagement and practical action. 

Research from the Sustainable Communities and Waste Hub is informing national circular economy reform, ensuring regional and remote communities are considered in Australia’s transition.

The Hub worked with Indigenous communities in Wellington, New South Wales to explore locally relevant recycling applications.

Hub researchers have developed a practical framework to improve how micro and nanoplastics are detected and measured in the environment. 

Hub leader Professor Veena Sahajwalla AO will deliver the keynote speech at an event for Climate Action Week Sydney, highlighting how waste innovation can drive meaningful climate action.

A new study published in Ambio introduces the Hub’s Wetland Wanderer Tool. It is the first auditing framework designed specifically to assess how wetlands support meaningful human-nature connection. 

A new report highlights critical insights into how Indigenous water practitioners identify and resist the doctrine of aqua nullius, the idea that water belongs to no one.

A new paper from the Nature Connection Project, published in Ambio, provides evidence that people who feel more connected to nature report higher levels of wellbeing.