Online marketplaces and buy, swap and sell groups have become popular ways to pass on unwanted items. Now, a new pilot program will help businesses reduce waste by connecting their excess materials with community organisations that can reuse them.
The Charles Darwin University (CDU) program, Darwin Business-to-Community Material Matchmaking (BCMM), is a 12-month community-led initiative funded through the City of Darwin's 2026/27 Environment and Climate Change Grants.
It will connect businesses with schools, artists, makers, community groups, social enterprises and other local organisations that can make practical use of items that would otherwise be discarded.
According to the City of Darwin's Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy, the Shoal Bay Waste Management Facility - the only licensed landfill in Greater Darwin - accepts more than 200,000 tonnes of waste and recyclable materials per year.
Of this, 43.9 per cent of waste comes from the commercial and industrial sector, and 15.8 per cent from the construction and development sector.
Businesses will be able to list materials on a BCMM digital noticeboard, where community groups and organisations will be able to browse for items.
