Circular Economy
Unlocking Circular Value Through Trusted Product Data
A circular economy depends on access to accurate, standardised data about materials, product composition, usage, and end-of-life options. GS1 standards provide a foundation for materials identification, tracing supply chain events and identifying responsible parties – making recycling schemes and reuse logistics more effective. They help governments and industry implement waste reduction targets, extended producer responsibility schemes, and sustainable procurement strategies.
Examples
Container deposit and return programs
National product registries - recording detailed packaging information
Use of GS1 traceability standard for verifying recycled content claims
GS1 Digital Link for recycling instructions, material content disclosure and creating digital product passports
Learn more about GS1 Australia's work on sustainability and the circular economy
National Impact
Achieving Australia’s National Waste Policy goals-including a 10% reduction in waste generation per capita and an 80% average resource recovery rate by 2030-depends on accurate, standardised data to track material flows, support reuse systems, and verify recyclability.
GS1 standards enable this by providing globally recognised tools for product identification, digital product passports, and recycling instructions. Independent analysis shows that adopting these standards can reduce logistics and warehousing costs by up to 23%, cut waste and overproduction, and supporting achieving these national targets.
Learn more about the national economic impact of using supply chain standards