Entries have opened for The Circle Awards 2022, which aim to celebrate and unite the businesses, organisations, projects and people shaping the circular economy in Australia and New Zealand.

The Circle Awards AUS & NZ 2022 exist to recognise the local businesses, organisations, projects, and people having a positive environmental and social impact.

The awards, presented by TMRRW™, JOLT and Purpose Conference, proudly celebrate and unite those leading the way to a brighter future in order to inspire others to adopt better practices within their businesses and organisations.

Winners from the 2021 awards include Great Wrap, The Very Good Bra, Planet Protector Packaging, Fungi Solutions and The Hello Cup.

This year’s judging panel includes Matt Wiley (above), who opened Re, a pioneering new sustainable bar in the South Eveleigh precinct, last year. Wiley is joined on the by Julie Mathers (Flora & Fauna Founder), Tim Silverwood (Ocean Impact Organisation), Maggie Zhou (Refinery29), Councillor HY William Chan (City of Sydney), Nina Gbor (EcoStyles), Yasmin Grigaliunas (World’s Biggest Garage Sale), Jennifer Nielsen (ekko.world) George Hedon (Pause Fest), Dr Nicole Garofano (Planet Ark), Mike Davis (Humans of Purpose) and more. 

Several drinks initiatives were commended in the inaugural awards last year, including a collaboration between Stone & Wood and Cape Byron Distillery.

Creator of The Circle Awards Nick Hoskin said: “When Stone & Wood were left with a surplus of beer – over 48,000L of Pacific Ale – due to COVID-19 restrictions, they teamed up with Cape Byron Distillery and turned the beer that would have otherwise gone to waste into a valuable resource to create a new product – Pacific Moonshine.

“Not only did Pacific Moonshine prevent the beer from becoming waste, it also delivered job creation and stability for the local community, as well as around $15,000 in donations to the inGrained Foundation to support  grassroots environmental and social charities.”

Entries are open to Australia or New Zealand registered businesses and organisations of all sizes; from startups and B Corps, through to not-for-profits and large corporations. The unique judging criteria enables a wide range of different entry types to be evaluated on their own merit regardless of budget, size of project, or scale of resources. 

”There’s so many exciting things happening locally that demonstrate the positive impact more conscious leadership practices can have, not only in terms of the environment and societal benefits, but also in driving commercial success,” Hoskin said. Through The Circle Awards our aim is to recognise and showcase the best examples of this to inspire others to take action.

“Our focus is on celebrating those making progress towards a better future, not just those who are doing things perfectly – we want The Circle Awards to be accessible to as many entrants as possible. Last year we had lots of questions about whether or not certain businesses were ‘good enough’ to enter, but we always encourage everyone to take part as even if they don’t win, they will still get value out of taking part. Our goal is creating a community of passionate individuals and fostering a culture of collaboration and collective action, over and above the competition element.”

The Circle Awards isn’t just about business and organisation leaders though. There’s also a large element focussed on helping consumers understand the power they have in shaping a better future by rethinking where and how they spend. Nick adds, “By making it easy for people to discover these better products and services, we’re accelerating the growth of conscious consumption – taking it from a niche movement and helping it become the normal behaviour amongst the majority.”

The categories for this year, including three new additions, are:

• Architecture & Construction
• Art & Design
• B2B
• Community, Education & Events
• Fashion
• Food & Drink
• Health & Beauty
• Home, Garden & Utilities
• Local Government Areas*
• Lifestyle & Technology
• Materials & Processes
• Research*
• Under 19*
• Transport, Tourism & Travel

*New categories for 2022

Key Dates

• Entries open – 20 July, 2022
• Entries close – 20 September, 2022
• People’s Choice voting – 26-30 September
• Finalists announced – 10 October, 2022
• Winners announced – 19 October, 2022

For the full line-up of judges and more information on entries visit TheCircleAwards.com