Our Impact

ASPIRE Successes, Metrics and Benefits for council and business

ASPIRE has been recognised by councils and business as adding value to their operations, and as an effective approach to achieving environmental outcomes for SMEs which is known to be challenging. Larger companies are also engaging with ASPIRE.

Metrics – measures of success for business

Economic, environmental and social metrics have been collected by CSIRO only from businesses who have  reported a successful waste exchange to their council facilitator. Triple bottom line metrics are known to be under-reported, as we have noted the difference between businesses’ initial report and values they are willing to publically disclose in published case studies. However, we consider it important to focus on independently auditable outcomes. A business survey is planned for 2017 (for businesses joining prior to 2017) to identify further resource exchanges. This provides us with an opportunity to uncover additional business to business collaborations that have occurred as a consequence of the ASPIRE program. Once identified, we can follow up  with companies to collect metrics of success.

Direct metrics of success

118 businesses engaged in the project (December 2016)
1110 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill
$207,000 saved for business ($193,000 reduction in waste disposal cost; $14,000 reduction in input material cost)
12 new business to business collaborations

The following direct benefits are also expected to result from ASPIRE.

• New Private investment (one case study is forecasting potential new private investment, ~ $3million)
• Improved sales
• Reduced transport cost / emissions
• Jobs created and/or safeguarded
• CO2-equivalent emissions reduction via diversion from landfill / reuse
• Water savings