LEAP & Circular Jobs: A Quick Explainer

The Local Environment Advancement Program (LEAP) is reshaping how communities engage with Australia’s circular economy. In this interview Bede Wolf, Sustainability Lead at SK Tes Australia, discusses how the initiative is creating stability for social enterprises, strengthening recycling capability, and turning product stewardship costs into meaningful social value. Built under Sustainable Products Stewardship (SPS), LEAP addresses long-standing challenges in the national e-waste scheme - from unpredictable volumes to depressed pricing - and offers a new model where environmental responsibility and social inclusion progress together.

Bede shared how years of inconsistent contract cycles left many social enterprises struggling to plan their operations. Through SPS, stable, forecasted volumes are now supplied across the year - providing more than 35,000 hours of work annually and enabling organisations to manage staffing, improve workflows, and invest in long-term improvements.

A Program Designed from the Ground Up

Instead of prescribing what recyclers should do, LEAP invites them to define the projects that matter most to their teams. Whether securing essential certifications, upgrading equipment and storage systems, or exploring new technologies, enterprises are supported through three funding streams: compliance and safety, infrastructure and site evolution, and regional research and development.

Practical Impact on Operations

LEAP funded projects span simple but transformative improvements - like safer racking, dust-reduction systems, power tools, and expanded collection networks. These changes directly improve workplace safety, efficiency, and day-to-day comfort for staff, especially in social and disability enterprises that often face resource constraints.

Moving Toward Long-Term Change

Now in its third year, LEAP continues to evolve. This round introduces a partnership with a major tool brand to supply high-quality toolkits to participating recyclers, further strengthening their operational capability. Interest from stewardship scheme members is also growing, with more brands seeking to align with LEAP’s unique blend of environmental and social outcomes.

Bede highlights that circularity is not only about materials, it’s about people. By enabling enterprises to lead change in their own communities, LEAP demonstrates how local action can create lasting national impact.

Key Takeaways

LEAP was created to address long-standing instability in Australia’s e-waste scheme, providing consistent workload and fairer value for social enterprises.
Through SPS, the program now enables over 35,000 hours of stable work annually, allowing organisations to plan staffing and operations more effectively.
LEAP’s participant-led model ensures projects are shaped by the enterprises themselves, making outcomes practical, relevant, and community-driven.
Funding streams support compliance, safety upgrades, site improvements, equipment needs, and regional R&D projects.
LEAP-funded initiatives - ranging from safer storage systems to expanded collection networks - deliver immediate improvements in workplace safety and efficiency.
The program is now in its third year, expanding through partnerships such as free toolkits from a major tools brand.
Growing interest from scheme members and brands shows how LEAP is becoming a national model for integrating social inclusion into environmental stewardship.

E-waste recycling solutions

SK Tes provides secure, certified e-waste recycling solutions that prioritize reuse, data security, and sustainability. Our seamless e-waste pickup and management solutions also provide verified emissions reporting, aligned with global and local compliance.

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At SK tes, we prioritize both sustainability and data security in every aspect of what we do. Through specialized processes, we help reduce waste and advance the circular economy by ensuring that technology assets are repurposed and recycled safely and responsibly.

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