that the business would have identified the opportunities that it now sees as part of its strategic future .
This first successful case has led to some momentum , and gained the attention of other businesses . Following this trial , the Council plans to expand the program to a number of other candidates .
THE PROGRAM Senior leaders at the business participated in the series of three , two-hour workshops on circular economy , policy and regulation , and grant opportunities . This intensive process was interactive and linked to in-depth analysis of the business ’ existing activities .
Focusing on a single business enabled a greater concentration of activity and a strong emphasis on next actions . This contrasts the alternative approach of undertaking group workshops , in which many individuals learn about circular approaches , but don ’ t necessarily take them forward in the business and implement circular projects .
THE BUSINESSES : GARON PLASTICS AND SEAPA Garon Plastics is a leading custom injecting moulding business in the local Edwardstown precinct with clients from a range of industries , including the telecommunications , medical and aquaculture sectors .
The business has been supplying custom injection moulding for over 40 years . With its depth of experience , high quality product , focus on design , and diverse activities , a broad range of circular economy opportunities are ripe for exploration .
Garon Plastics has experimented with regrind ( recycled material ) primarily for polycarbonate and polypropylene . In recent years there has been a general shift in customer perceptions , from viewing recycled content as lower quality , to requesting the material for their products . Even so , a number of clients will not allow recycled material in their product , often due to long established product specifications . From a technical perspective , there are also a number of issues to be solved if the business is to scale up production .
Garon Plastics ’ sister company and major client is SEAPA , an innovative business that designs and produces injection moulded oyster basket systems that are exported from Edwardstown across Australia and the globe .
SEAPA has a wealth of experience , having produced equipment for the oyster industry since 1998 . Between 60 and 70 per cent of SEAPA ’ s product is exported to markets including Japan , France and the United States .
Through the circular economy workshops , a large range of opportunities were identified for Garon Plastics and SEAPA . These were assessed and whittled down to five pilot projects that kickstart the circular economy journey for the businesses .
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL VOL 14 NO 3 2021 15