The Circular Economy: How Beyond Best Before is Leading the Way in Australia

The way we consume food is changing. Traditional supply chains operate on a linear model—produce, sell, consume, and discard. But as concerns around waste, sustainability, and resource efficiency grow, a new system is taking shape: the circular economy.

What is the Circular Economy?

The circular economy is a regenerative system that minimises waste by keeping products, materials, and resources in use for as long as possible. Instead of the take-make-dispose approach, the circular economy prioritises reuse, repurpose, and redistribute.

In the food sector, this means tackling waste at multiple levels—preventing edible products from ending up in landfill, supporting smarter production methods, and changing consumer perceptions about what’s ‘good to eat.’

How Beyond Best Before Fits In

Beyond Best Before is Australia’s first dedicated retailer rescuing pantry products that would otherwise go to waste due to misunderstood best-before dates, packaging changes, over-forecasting, and other inefficiencies in the sustainable supply chain.

We are redefining what it means to shop smart, making sustainable consumption easy, affordable, and desirable. Here’s how we’re contributing to the circular economy:

• Rescuing surplus stock – We partner with food producers, suppliers, and distributors to keep high-quality pantry items in circulation rather than in landfill, addressing challenges in retail waste solutions.

• Challenging perceptions – By educating customers about ‘best before’ dates versus ‘use by’ dates, we empower them to make informed choices and support a circular business model.

• Making sustainability accessible – Our stores and online platform offer premium and everyday pantry staples at a fraction of the price, making sustainability a practical choice, not a luxury, and contributing to broader corporate sustainability efforts.

• Supporting systemic change – Our work influences how the food industry thinks about short-dated products, encouraging a shift toward sustainable procurement and waste-conscious supply chains.

Other Australian Startups Championing the Circular Economy

Australia is witnessing a surge of innovative startups embracing circular economy principles across various sectors:

• Banish: Founded by Lottie Dalziel, Banish aims to educate consumers on sustainable living and offers eco-friendly products. Their Banish Recycling and Disposal Program (BRAD) addresses hard-to-recycle household items by partnering with trusted Australian micro-recyclers, diverting over 3.2 million pieces of plastic from landfills.

• RecycleSmart: Dubbed the 'Uber Eats of rubbish collection,' RecycleSmart offers convenient pick-up services for hard-to-recycle items, transforming waste into valuable products. They charge $7 per bag, with free pick-ups in certain council areas, and cater to both residential and commercial clients. 

• Paco Industries: In collaboration with the University of New South Wales, Paco Industries is developing a solvent that enables continuous recycling of contaminated PET plastics, overcoming significant barriers in sustainable packaging. Major companies like Arnott's and Pablo & Rusty have shown interest in this innovative technology. 

• Circulanation: Led by Tanya Egerton, Circulanation is establishing a network of op shops in remote Indigenous communities to distribute unsold goods and textiles that would otherwise be disposed of, empowering these communities and providing much-needed resources while reducing the carbon footprint of waste. 

The Future of Circular Consumption in Australia

The conversation around food waste is growing, and so is the need for solutions that integrate sustainability into everyday life. Beyond Best Before isn’t just responding to the problem—we’re helping reshape how Australians think about food, value, and waste through FMCG waste reduction and food industry innovation.

By supporting businesses like ours and others embracing circular principles, consumers play a direct role in reducing waste, stretching resources further, and proving that circular economy models can work at scale. Together, we can make sustainable shopping the norm rather than the exception.

Rescuing today, preserving tomorrow.