10/09/2026
How can circular economy and zero waste thinking help small island nations tackle plastic pollution, strengthen resource security and accelerate the transition to a more sustainable future?
Last week, A/P Dr Atiq Zaman, a circular economy and zero waste expert at the Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute, visited Curtin Mauritius to share research, strengthen international partnerships and explore new opportunities for collaboration across academia, government and industry.
A key highlight was Dr Zaman’s keynote at the Plastic Horizon event, organised by the Charles Telfair Centre and supported by the Australian High Commission in Mauritius.
His keynote explored the global plastics crisis and the need to move beyond downstream waste management towards prevention, reuse, circular design, resource recovery and systems transformation. Importantly, the discussion also highlighted the strong connection between circular economy, zero waste and climate action.
Beyond the keynote, the visit provided valuable opportunities to engage with:
♻️ local recyclers and resource-recovery stakeholders
🏭 businesses and industry representatives
🏛️ regulatory and government organisations
🎓 Curtin Mauritius researchers and students
🤝 international and regional sustainability partners
These discussions helped identify practical barriers to circular economy implementation in small island economies, including limited local processing capacity, infrastructure gaps, market scale, regulatory certainty and the need for stronger partnerships across the value chain.
The visit also reinforced an important principle:
Circular economy transitions cannot simply be imported from one country to another—they must be designed around local resources, infrastructure, markets and communities.
Dr Zaman also joined sustainability experts Anya Dundoo (Made in Moris), Grégory Martin (Mautopia), Jean-Marie Ily (COI-IOC) and Olga Biegus (Nature Focus) in broader discussions on practical pathways for reducing plastic pollution and strengthening circularity in Mauritius.
We acknowledge the leadership and support of Professor Lina Pelliccione, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and President of Curtin Mauritius, and Dr Myriam Blin, Head of the Charles Telfair Centre, as well as H. E. Kate Chamley, Australian High Commissioner of the Australian High Commission in Mauritius.
The visit opens exciting possibilities for future research collaboration, industry engagement, student participation and Australia–Mauritius knowledge exchange around circular economy, plastics, climate action and sustainable resource transitions.
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