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With the average Australian household generating around of 1.5 tonnes of domestic waste every year, Waste-Free World is focused on finding innovative solutions to reduce the vast amounts of general and clothing waste in Australia and around the world. 

The project is led by fashion lecturer, Associate Professor Alice Payne, and brings together academics from each faculty.   

The generous support of donors has already helped the project reach many milestones.  

QUT robotics expert Dr Ajay Pandey has been working on a robotic smart bin to interact with and educate users about waste. Philanthropic funds have allowed the team to build the first prototype and move to the next stage of development. This will include a gamified aspect, user interaction through touch and voice inputs, and a public display.  

“Dr Pandey's team is looking to incorporate user behaviour and local waste disposal guidelines. Although developed for the household level, this robotic bin technology could also make recycling more efficient and responsible at an industrial scale,” said Associate Professor Payne. 

Another Waste-Free World project has been developed by Dr Manuela Taboada from QUT’s School of Design – the ‘Designing out Plastic’ app.  

“The app will help people set goals to reduce plastic waste as well as track their use of items like coffee cups, cutlery, drink bottles, shopping bags, straws, packaging, disposable razors and more,” she said. 

In the classroom, students have been working on projects to enable a circular economy for fashion and textiles in Brisbane. And QUT’s Institute of Future Environments has funded further projects including molecular labelling and tracking of plastic waste; creating batteries from textile waste; and robotic garment disassembly for more effective recycling.   

Associate Professor Payne said QUT Giving Day helped bring visibility to the ambitious project. On the day, 203 donors gave $17,000 to support the project in its early stages. 

“The support we received has spurred us on to increase our work in tackling the wicked problem of waste.” 

“Our team has since grown to represent every faculty, and a new research centre is being launched to focus on tackling waste through new technologies, business models, circular economies, and catalysing behaviour change.” 

Waste-Free World was one of the 22 projects supported on QUT Giving Day. The 30-hour fundraising campaign saw 2029 donors come together to raise more than $800,000 for education, research, and community initiatives at QUT.  
 

Towards a waste-free world

Our world population generates an astonishing 3.6 million metric tonnes of municipal solid waste each day. We are vastly exceeding our planet’s ability to sustain this consumption.

QUT researchers are finding new ways to improve waste management, as well as creating new value for items that would otherwise end up in landfill.

Learn more about QUT's Centre for a Waste-Free World and how you can help make our world more sustainable, secure and resilient.