Sunshine Coast Council, Media Release, 29 May 2023

This matchmaking tool with a difference is turning trash into treasure.

And it is enjoying great success on the Sunshine Coast, helping the region surge towards its goal of being the most sustainable in the nation.

From timber and metal to stationery; and crafts and organics to soils, a range of material otherwise destined for landfill is being traded – and given new purpose – using the online marketplace-style ASPIRE platform.

This connects likeminded local businesses and organisations who can negotiate exchanges that save money – and the planet!

Sunshine Coast Council was one of the first councils in Queensland to invest in ASPIRE.

Now the initiative has reached a major milestone here, attracting 300 members and diverting more than 3200 tonnes of waste-bound material and products – that’s around 29,000 fridges.

Thanks to the platform, the region has this financial year saved $475,000 in disposal costs, and 1000 tonnes of carbon emissions have been saved through exchanges.

The members include family-run businesses, large manufacturers, community and sporting groups, schools and childcare centres.

It is accessible for all organisations with an ABN and is free if you have fewer than 100 full time staff.

Visit Council’s website to check commodities that can be traded and find out more.

Sunshine Coast Council Economic Development Councillor Terry Landsberg urged local organisations to sign up to enjoy the benefits.

“One man’s trash is another man’s treasure so the more organisations that sign up, the more supply and diversity in resources become available to exchange,” Cr Landsberg said.

“From timber and metal to stationery and crafts, organics to soils – there’s a whole range of exchanges to be made to help turn your waste into a valuable resource while making a positive impact on our planet.

“Sunshine Coast Council is proud to be one of the first councils in Queensland to invest in ASPIRE in October 2020 and it’s terrific to see nearly every council get behind it in South-East Queensland.

“The uptake in councils across South-East Queensland alone means the ASPIRE marketplace now connects opportunities to a wide and diverse catchment within the Sunshine Coast, Noosa, Moreton Bay and significant industries across Brisbane, Logan, Gold Coast and the Scenic Rim.”

ASPIRE also provides organisations with valuable data on carbon savings which can influence the buying decision of an increasingly growing number of environmentally aware and socially conscious consumers.

Local businesses leading the way

Early adopters of the platform are two local businesses Rockcote, Australia’s leading paint manufacturer, partnering with the Yandina Community Gardens’ Food Loop program.

Rockcote Circular Economy champion Jacqui Meldrum said The Food Loop program enabled them to find a better way to reduce their waste footprint.

“We were thrilled to join with the team at Yandina Community Gardens and ASPIRE to divert our weekly accumulation of organic kitchen and meal leftovers from landfill to create the best organic compost a garden can have,” Ms Meldurm said. 

“The ASPIRE platform is user friendly and allows us to easily record the savings we have been able to generate using the Food Loop Program and to capture the total carbon emission savings we are actively achieving.

“The Food Loop program has enabled us to find a better way to reduce our waste footprint, divert waste items from landfill and develop a partnership with Yandina Community Gardens who share in our commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability.

“The ASPIRE platform provides us with the added benefit of being able to easily track our progress in our mission to reduce our carbon footprint.”