Case Study: Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation reduces joinery waste with thinkstep-anz circular economy analysis

Circular economy opportunities to reduce joinery waste in ISJO

thinkstep-anz worked with Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation, a collaborative body representing four councils on New South Wales’ south coast, to explore circular economy opportunities for the region’s joinery and kitchen manufacturing sector. The customer wanted to reduce the 5,000 tonnes of MDF and particleboard offcuts and sawdust generated each year and find practical ways to keep more of this waste out of landfill.

thinkstep-anz visited local manufacturers and resource recovery businesses, analysed waste samples, and assessed technical, regulatory, and market conditions for reuse, composting, recycling, and energy recovery options. The project produced a set of “more circular” and “less circular” recommendations, including a business-to-business reuse program and a local aggregation point for recycling offcuts into new particleboard, giving ISJO a benchmark and practical next steps to support a more circular regional economy.

Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation

Roger Stephan

Chief Executive Officer